Netanyahu: Blinken Guaranteed the Lifting of Restrictions on American Weapon Shipments

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured him that the Biden administration is working to lift recently imposed restrictions on arms shipments to Israel. On Tuesday, June 18, Netanyahu expressed gratitude for U.S. support for Israel since the onset of the war against Hamas during his meeting with Blinken last week. He emphasized that 'the imposition of restrictions on the shipment of weapons and ammunition from the U.S. in recent months is incomprehensible.' Netanyahu mentioned that Blinken guaranteed him that the U.S. government is 'working around the clock' to remove these restrictions. Netanyahu added, 'I hope this is the case. It must be this way. Provide us with the necessary tools, and we will get the job done much faster.' In a press conference in Washington, Blinken did not explicitly confirm whether he had given such a guarantee to Israeli leaders but noted that the U.S. is still reviewing a shipment of large bombs due to concerns about their use in densely populated areas. The U.S. Secretary of State pointed out that Israel faces threats beyond Gaza from Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, stating that the shipment of other weapons and ammunition to Israel continues as usual, and President Biden has clearly stated that the U.S. will provide Israel with whatever it needs for effective self-defense. Blinken said, 'As you know, we are still reviewing a weapons shipment that the President has also mentioned. The shipment of these 2,000-pound bombs is still under review due to our sensitivities regarding their use in crowded areas like Rafah.' He added that the shipment of other supplies continues as it always has, and our standard is to ensure that Israel has all its needs for defense against multiple challenges. Last month, Biden warned Israel that if it conducted extensive military operations in Rafah and its surroundings, where a large number of Palestinian refugees had taken shelter, he would halt arms shipments to Israel. However, despite the President's warning, the Israeli military launched an assault on Rafah a few days later. The Israeli government claimed that a group of Hamas militants was hiding in the area and reiterated that the goal of military operations in Gaza is to destroy Hamas and free Israeli hostages.