In breaking news, the Biden administration has given the green light for a shipment of 500-pound bombs to be sent to Israel, following a pause of over two months, as reported by a US official.
The halt on the initial shipment, which included both 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs, was due to US concerns about the potential use of heavy munitions by Israel, specifically the larger 2,000-pound bombs, in their Rafah operation.
Although the 500-pound bomb shipment has been approved, one shipment of the 2,000-pound bombs remains on hold, according to sources.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the 500-pound bomb shipment being allowed to proceed.
President Joe Biden expressed concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza during a CNN interview, attributing them to the use of the 2,000-pound bombs, just days after the pause was implemented.
The US official clarified that there were no concerns about the use of the 500-pound bombs in densely populated areas. However, due to the possibility of other munitions being included in the shipments, which was the case in this situation, a hold was placed on both types of bombs.
Explaining the decision, the official stated, “Because our concern was not about the 500-pound bombs, those are moving forward as part of the usual process.” The main focus remains on preventing the use of 2,000-pound bombs in Rafah and other areas in Gaza.
