JAKARTA - Top aides to US President Joe Biden told the visiting Israeli Defense Minister that Washington is still implementing a pause on heavy bomb deliveries to Israel.
US officials said the allies are still discussing the delivery of high-powered ammunition, which Biden halted in May over concerns it could lead to more Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza.
As reported by Reuters on Thursday, June 27, the official said other US weapons would continue to flow to Israel as the country battles Hamas militants in Gaza and faces Lebanese Hezbollah fighters on its northern border.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stressed during his visit that Israel could take Lebanon "back to the Stone Age" in any war with Iran-backed Hezbollah,
But Gallant stressed that his government prefers a diplomatic solution sought by the United States.
Concluding his trip, Gallant said there had been significant progress on the issue of US ammunition supplies to Israel, adding that "obstacles have been removed and bottlenecks have been resolved."
Gallant and U.S. officials have sought to ease tensions following recent claims by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington was holding back weapons, prompting Biden aides to express disappointment and confusion over the Israeli leader's remarks.
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The United States in May halted shipments of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs over concerns about their potential impact on densely populated areas of Gaza in the war that began with a deadly Hamas cross-border attack on Oct. 7.
But Israel will still receive billions of dollars worth of other U.S. weapons.
“Ultimately we are in discussions to find a resolution,” said a senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“But I think the president has expressed concerns about these shipments, and they are very valid concerns.
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