US to release part of suspended bomb shipment to Israel

The Biden administration is poised to release 500-lb. bombs from a previously halted weapons shipment to Israel.

One US and one Israeli official revealed the developments while speaking to US media, Caliber.Az reports.

 This shipment was initially put on hold in April due to U.S. concerns about the IDF's military operation in Rafah. The move suggests a reduction in US worries about Israel using these bombs in Gaza and aims to alleviate tension between President Biden and Israel's supporters regarding the withheld shipment.

Approximately 1,700 500-lb. bombs are expected to be delivered after the Rafah operation concludes in two weeks, according to an Israeli official. Israel asserts that these bombs are necessary in case of escalation with Hezbollah on the northern border. However, the Biden administration is still reviewing another part of the shipment that includes 1,800 2,000-lb. bombs.

In early May, Biden decided to delay a weapons shipment to Israel, which included 1,800 2,000-lb. bombs and 1,700 500-lb. bombs, due to concerns over a potential Israeli operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians were sheltering. Despite private negotiations to resolve the issue, tensions heightened when Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly accused Biden of halting the weapons supply, resulting in the cancellation of a strategic U.S.-Israel meeting on Iran.

Recent talks in Washington have resolved some issues slowing down U.S. weapons shipments. The release of the 500-lb. bombs was discussed in meetings between Israel's Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and senior White House officials. A source familiar with the meetings indicated that the 500-lb. bombs were not withheld as a matter of policy but were "intermingled" with the 2,000-lb—bombs in the same shipment. The White House's primary concern from the beginning was the use of the 2,000-lb—bombs in Gaza.

The 2,000-lb. bomb shipment remains unresolved and under review. Biden's advisers emphasized that the delay in releasing the shipment was due to concerns about their use, not as a reaction to Netanyahu's demands. Senior officials confirmed that the release of the 500-lb. bombs will proceed after the Rafah operation ends, aiming to reduce tension between the two countries.