From threats to action: Israel’s surprising move on the Rafah crossing
Jerusalem PostMay 07
US Pauses Weapons Delivery to Israel Over Rafah
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The Facts
US officials revealed on Tuesday that the Biden administration had halted the shipment of weapons to Israel reportedly over Israel's plan to attack Rafah in southern Gaza.
The US paused a shipment of 1.8 2K-pound (907 kg) bombs and 1.7K 500lb (226kg) bombs last week, as Israel had not "fully addressed" its concerns about humanitarian needs in Rafah.
The Spin
Pro-Israel narrative
Israel has been warning Hamas about this attack for months now, and with Israeli hostages still in captivity, this limited operation is far from an overreaction. While critics claim Hamas' acceptance of a deal should bar Israel from invading, they're leaving out the fact that the deal they accepted was not the one agreed to by Israel. Hamas also launched a coordinated strike Sunday that killed four soldiers, proving it's still an active threat with no desire to disarm.
Pro-Palestine narrative
The pretext for Israel's attack on Rafah is supposedly to eliminate Hamas and its leadership. However, the extensive destruction and casualties in Gaza indicate broader retaliation by Israel. With tens of thousands of civilians killed and 80% of buildings destroyed in the north, civilians have fled to Rafah. Given Israel's consistent pattern of grievous and unnecessary harm towards Palestinian civilians, the US must halt any support that could make the situation worse.
Nerd narrative
There is a 70% chance that Israel will have de facto power in the Gaza Strip on January 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.