Israeli Officials Frustrated US Stop Sending Weapons Ammunition

UNSPLASH/Taylor Brandon ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Israeli officials have personally told US officials the "frustration" of the delay in arms shipments.

Sources quoted by CNN on Wednesday, May 8 said officials expressed concern that the move could jeopardize negotiations on a hostage-taking deal at a critical time, the source said.

The source did not say at what rate the conversation took place.

Israel also stressed that pressure should be directed at Hamas, not Israel, and reaffirmed their hope that the US would continue to support Israel in its efforts to defeat Hamas, the source said.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the US was discontinuing shipments of "high-charged ambulances" to Israel due to ground operations in Rafah without plans for civilians in the southern Gaza city.

We will continue to do what is necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself. However, we are currently reviewing some short-term security aid deliveries in the context of events that occurred in Rafah," Austin said.

CNN previously reported that the US last week had stopped shipping 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds and 1,700 500 pounds of bombs to Israel amid concerns over its potential use in the Rafah attack.

"We are very clear... that Israel should not carry out a massive attack on Rafah without considering and protecting civilians in the combat area," Austin said.

Austin said the US had not made a final decision about what would happen with the shipment of weapons.

He stressed the shipment was not part of an additional shopping package recently passed by Congress which includes lethal aid to Ukraine and Israel.