US bomb delay is biggest warning yet for Israel
By James Landale
The United States is the one country that has real leverage over Israel. And yet, throughout the war in Gaza, Israel has chosen to ignore much of the advice of its closest ally.
The US government says its support for the war against Hamas is “ironclad”, but it has repeatedly raised concerns about the failure of the Israeli army to protect civilians and the lack of humanitarian access afforded to the people of Gaza.
For seven long months, the US has gradually stepped up pressure on Israel. It has advised privately. It has warned publicly. It has stopped vetoing condemnatory resolutions at the United Nations. It has sanctioned Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
In a particularly robust telephone call a month ago, President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would reduce US support if Israel did not allow fleets of aid lorries to cross the border into Gaza.
And yet, much of this counsel and cajoling has fallen on deaf ears. So now the US is beginning to wield its biggest stick.
The US is by far Israel’s biggest source of weapons and ammunition. By law, it provides Israel with $3.8bn (£3bn) of military aid each year, designed to give the country an advantage over neighbouring countries. The US Congress last month passed a bill providing a further $14bn of military support.
Now the Biden administration has for the first time delayed a shipment of munitions to Israel. A senior administration official confirmed to the BBC that the delivery of thousands of 2000lb and other bombs has been paused.
The official said they were also reviewing other weapons sales, including equipment that helps convert free-falling bombs into precision-guided munitions.
