White House disputes Netanyahu’s claim that US is withholding weapons from Israel

The Biden administration reacted furiously to criticism from Benjamin Netanyahu that the US is withholding arms and ammunition from Israel in its war in Gaza, reportedly canceling a high-level meeting with Israeli officials on Iran in retaliation.

Netanyahu made the allegations of an allegedly deliberate arms delay in a video published on X, in which he insinuated that Israel’s ability to prevail in the nine-month war with Hamas was being undermined as a result.

Speaking to the camera in English, Netanyahu said he expressed gratitude in a recent meeting with Antony Blinkenthe US Secretary of State, for American support since last October’s attack on Israel by Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people and took another 250 hostages.

“But I also said something else,” he said. “I said it is inconceivable that in recent months the administration has withheld weapons and ammunition from Israel – Israel, America’s closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting Iran and our other common enemies.”

Invoking Winston Churchill, Netanyahu continued: “During World War II, Churchill said to the United States: ‘Give us the tools, we will do the work.’ And I say, give us the tools and we’ll get the job done a lot quicker.”

The attack appeared to blind American authorities. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: “We really don’t know what he’s talking about.”

Related: Israeli Foreign Minister says decision on all-out war against Hezbollah is close

At a later press conference, Blinken said the only weapons delayed were 2,000-pound bombs that Joe Biden had ordered it to be placed under review due to concerns about an Israeli plan for an incursion into Rafah in southern Gaza, where around 1 million people are sheltering.

“This remains under analysis. But everything else is moving along normally,” Blinken said.

The Biden administration finally won congressional approval for a $14 billion military aid package for Israel in April, after it was held up for months by the House of Representatives. A separate $15 billion sale of US F15 aircraft is also expected to move forward.

Biden pushed ahead with aid despite opposition within his own Democratic party, where progressives have accused Israel of committing genocide in a war that has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians.

Senior government officials were said to be angry behind the scenes. Axios, citing two unnamed sources, reported that a bilateral meeting scheduled for June 20 had been canceled to send a signal to Netanyahu.

The report states that the US envoy to Israel, Amos Hochstein, personally delivered the message to the prime minister, telling him that his accusation was “inaccurate and out of line”.

“This decision makes clear that there are consequences for such stunts,” Axios said, citing an American official.

A spokesman for the White House national security council did not confirm the cancellation, but added to the puzzlement over Netanyahu’s video.

“We have been working to find a time to schedule the next SDG [sustainable development goals] which accounts for the travel and availability of the principals, but has not yet fully finalized the details, so nothing has been cancelled,” said spokesperson, Eduardo Maia Silva, via email.

“As we said in yesterday’s briefing, we have no idea what the prime minister is talking about, but that is no reason to reschedule a meeting.”

Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington in late July to address a joint session of Congress, in response to an invitation from House Speaker Mike Johnson, a close ally of Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.