ALBAWABA - A U.S. official clarified Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent accusations of the administration about delayed weaponry supplies amid continued Gaza battles and escalating Hezbollah tensions.
The person said President Joe Biden's administration discontinued emergency procedures that accelerated weaponry transfers to Israel at the outset of the Gaza war. An informed source told "Times of Israel" this.
"The normal pace of shipments does not equate to the accelerated rate permitted by the U.S. during the initial months of the war," a source said. In recent months, the U.S. has resumed its congressionally authorized weaponry deliveries.
This move has corresponded with a halt in Israeli military activity in Gaza and fears in Washington about a preemptive Israeli assault against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which might start a regional conflict, the source said.
These statements offer insight on Netanyahu's recent assertion that Washington is "hindering arms shipments to Israel," which the U.S. denies.
Netanyahu voiced hope on Sunday that the US-Israel disagreement over delayed weaponry supplies will be addressed shortly. At a cabinet meeting, he said, "US weaponry sales to Israel have dropped significantly for four months. We've been given several reasons, but nothing has changed. Based on recent negotiations, I expect this issue be addressed soon."
Washington halted an armaments supply to Israel in May, including heavy bombs for Gaza. President Biden threatened to cut military sales if Israel maintained its Rafah operation. Biden told "CNN" weeks before, "Israel will not get weapons or artillery rounds. Israel will not gain our assistance if it penetrates Rafah's populated centers."
