Rafah is being bombarded by Israel despite US objections

• Tens of thousands of Palestinians attempted to flee Rafah as Israel shells eastern area of city sheltering some 1.7 million people.
• Israel’s continued closure of the Rafah border crossing is “choking off the entry of life-saving aid into Gaza”, says the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
• US President Joe Biden says he will not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah in the toughest public comments yet about the widely condemned military operation. “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centres,” Biden said in an interview.
• Nearly 35,000 people, mostly women. and children have been killed and 78,514 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139 with dozens of people still held captive.

Here are some of the weapons the US delivered to Israel since October 7

The Republicans have been critical of Biden for pausing one shipment to Israel , but let’s take a look back at some of the deliveries that have been completed since Israel began its war on Gaza seven months ago .

The US Defense Department has publicly stated that it has sent Israel more than 50,000 M795 155-millimeter artillery shells , costing about $3000 each . These shells are effectively large bullets that are used in howitzer systems, which are towed large guns.

It also sent 30,000 M4 propelling charges for howitzers costing about $1000 each as well as thousands of artillery shells and tank rounds.

Last month alone the US shipped to Israel  more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, according to Pentagon and State Department officials familiar with the matter. The 1800 MK 84 bombs are more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945

The Biden administration doesn’t have to notify Congress of other military aid deliveries if they fall below a certain value. However, US media outlets have reported other military sales to Israel, including kits for converting unguided “dumb” bombs into GPS-guided munitions.

In addition , according to the FDD, the US delivered :

• Air defense systems
• Precision-guided munitions (PGMs) artillery shells,
• Two Iron Dome batteries
• Tamir interceptors precision-guided munitions,
• Hellfire missiles used by drones,
• 30-mm cannon ammunition,
• PVS-14 night vision devices
• Disposable shoulder-fired rockets

Biden’s move to hold up some weapons shipments to Israel, for the first time since October 7, is sending a “very strong signal” that the US is not happy with how Israel is conducting the war and has “red lines” it is willing to back up “to a certain extent”, says Andreas Krieg, an assistant professor in security studies at King’s College London.

“It is quite clear that the Americans will not stand for a high-intensity combat operation in Rafah,” Krieg told Al Jazeera, noting that the withholding of 2,000 bombs Israel relies on will eventually limit its military operations.

However, Krieg said, the US is still leaving room for Israel to conduct strategic operations in Rafah, such as via air strikes and special forces deployments – though the exact limits of such actions are unclear.

Some U.S. lawmakers and foreign leaders, the United Nations, human rights and activist groups, and other parties have voiced growing concern about the scale of Israel’s war to eliminate Hamas. They have been especially critical of its heavy bombing of the Gaza Strip, which has reportedly killed tens of thousands Palestinians—mostly civilians.

Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid since its founding in 1948, receiving over $320 billion (adjusted for inflation) in total economic and military assistance . That aid has come under heightened scrutiny amid Israel’s months long war to eliminate Hamas.

The two countries do not have a mutual defense pact, as the United States has with allies such as Japan and fellow members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, Israel is among a short list of “major non-NATO allies” and has privileged access to the most advanced U.S. military platforms and technologies.

The United States has provisionally agreed (via a memorandum of understanding) to provide Israel with nearly $4 billion a year through 2028, and U.S. lawmakers are considering billions of dollars in supplementary funding for Israel amid its war with Hamas.  

In addition the U.S. Senate Passed a bill in April Granting Israel another $14 Billion in aid

Restrictions attached to the aid

Transfers of U.S. military equipment to Israel, as to other foreign governments, are subject to relevant U.S. law. The president must notify Congress  before selling foreign powers major weapon systems or services and lawmakers are allowed a period to review the sale. For transactions with Israel (and other close U.S. allies), the threshold that triggers a fifteen-day congressional review ranges from $25 million to $300 million, depending on the defense articles or services.

Many Democratic congressman have been very critical of Israel’s heavy bombing of the Gaza Strip. They expressed concerns that Israel has violated the international and U.S. laws that are designed to spare civilians from the horrors of war

Al Jazeera/Ya Libnan