House Democrats Backtrack on Israel Gun Pause

A group of 26 House Democrats are rejecting President Biden’s decision this week to stop sending heavy bombs to Israel amid fears of an Israeli invasion of Rafah, which is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced amid the war in Gaza. .

“We are deeply concerned about the message the Administration is sending to Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist proxies by withholding arms shipments to Israel during a critical moment in negotiations,” he said. read the letteraddressed to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

The letter arrives on the same day that the latest round of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas – mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt – ended without agreement. Israel wants Hamas to release about 130 remaining hostages taken during the October 7 attack in exchange for an extended lull in the fighting.

The letter, signed by House Democrats including Reps. Josh Gottheimer (N.J.), Jared Golden (Maine), Haley Stevens (Mich.) and Steven Horsford (Nev.), follows the Biden administration announcing this week that it was holding back a shipment plan of about 3,500 bombs, which includes heavy 2,000-pound versions along with lighter 500-pound munitions.

Biden also warned earlier this week that he would stop supplying offensive weapons such as bombs and artillery shells to Israel if his forces launched an invasion of Rafah.

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a result of these bombs and other ways they attack population centers,” Biden said Wednesday to CNN’s Erin Burnett.

“I have made it clear that if they go to Rafah – they have not yet gone to Rafah – if they go to Rafah, I will not provide the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with this problem,” Biden added.

The letter from House Democrats said that “seven months after October 7, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the end of the Holocaust, Iranian-backed terrorist proxies continue to fire rockets and mortars at Israel and Americans everywhere.” the directions”.

“At the same time, anti-Semitism is spreading globally like wildfire,” the letter continues. “We fear that public disputes with our critical ally will only embolden our mutual enemies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and other Iranian-backed proxies. It also reinforces their agenda of chaos, brutality and hatred, and makes an agreement of hostages even harder to reach.”

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

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