US to Resume Bomb Shipments to Israel

JAKARTA - President Joe Biden's administration will resume shipments of 500-pound bombs to Israel, but is holding back supplies of 2,000-pound bombs because of concerns about their use in densely populated Gaza, a U.S. official said Wednesday.

Washington halted shipments of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs in May, citing concerns about their potential impact in Gaza.

The administration's particular concern is the use of such large bombs in Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge.

"We have made clear our concern is, at the end of the 2,000-pound bombs, particularly for the Israeli Rafah operation that they have announced is coming to an end," a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity, as reported by Reuters on July 11.

A single 2,000-pound bomb can rip through thick concrete and metal, creating a wide blast radius.

The U.S. official said the 500-pound bombs were included in the same shipment as the larger bombs that were paused and therefore held back.

"Our primary concern was and remains the potential use of 2,000-pound bombs in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza. Because our concern is not about 500-pound bombs, that continues as part of the normal process," the official said.

The United States has told Israel it is removing the 500-pound bombs but is holding back the larger ones, a source familiar with the matter said.

In June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Washington was holding back weapons, pleading with U.S. officials to fix the situation. Aides to President Biden expressed disappointment and confusion at the Israeli leader's remarks.

Despite a pause in one shipment, Israel has continued to receive a steady flow of U.S. weapons.

Reuters reported last month that since the war began in October 2023 until the end of June, the US had transferred at least 14,000 2,000-pound MK-84 bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker-busting bombs, 2,600 small-diameter bombs dropped from the air, and other ammunition.

Separately, international scrutiny of Israel's military operations in Gaza has intensified, as the Palestinian death toll from the war has exceeded 38,000 and has devastated the coastal enclave.

Citing WAFA, Gaza health authorities confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll of Palestinians in the territory had risen to 38,295 while 88,241 others were injured. The majority of the victims were women and children.