What happened
The Biden administration said Tuesday it paused a shipment of weapons to Israel last week, as the close U.S. ally appeared set on invading Rafah in southern Gaza. Israel's "limited" incursion into Rafah on Tuesday did not cross President Joe Biden's red line against a major ground invasion in Rafah, U.S. officials said. Israel and Hamas sent delegates to Egypt to resume talks on a cease-fire in Gaza.
Who said what
The indefinitely "paused" shipment includes "1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-bombs bombs," a Biden administration official said. "We are especially focused on the end-use of the 2,000-pound bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings." Israel has used the heavy bombs "frequently" in Gaza, which experts say "has helped drive the enormous Palestinian casualty count," The Associated Press said.
Delaying weapons deliveries is a "reprehensible" betrayal, Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) said. "The United States must stand with Israel. Period."
What next?
The pause in deliveries "will be felt quickly as Israel continues to rapidly expend munitions," The Washington Post said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The tiny Caribbean island sitting on a digital 'goldmine'Under The Radar Anguilla's country-code domain name is raking in millions from a surprise windfall
-
September 7 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include stressing about Powerball, and a busy FBI schedule
-
Nvidia: unstoppable force, or powering down?Talking Point Sales of firm's AI-powering chips have surged above market expectations –but China is the elephant in the room
-
'America is simply not investing at the level the crisis demands'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank planSpeed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Jonathan Powell: who is the man behind Keir Starmer's foreign policy?Today's Big Question Prime minister's national security adviser is a 'world-class operator'
-
'We cannot rely on starving individuals to control their own refeeding'instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Israel: Losing the American publicFeature A recent poll finds American support for Israel's military action in Gaza has fallen from 50% to 32%
-
What does occupying Gaza accomplish for Israel?Talking Points Risking a 'strategic dead-end' in the fight against Hamas
-
Who owns Gaza? Israel's occupation plans
The Explainer Egypt, Israel and Britain have ruled the beleaguered territory
-
Cracks appear in MAGA's pro-Israel frontIN THE SPOTLIGHT As the world watches a humanitarian crisis unfold across Gaza, some of Israel's most staunchly conservative defenders have begun speaking out against its actions in the occupied territories
