Protect civilians

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US President Joe Biden

(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/SCOTT OLSON)

US President Joe Biden has made people sit up and take notice with harsh words against Israel: In the event of an offensive now also in Rafah in the very south of the Gaza Strip, Israel would lose the support of the United States. It is "simply wrong" to attack populated population centers. Washington could not provide the weapons and artillery for this. Meanwhile, the militant Palestinian organization Hamas has rejected further concessions in the ongoing negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

"If Israel enters Rafah, I will not provide the weapons that have historically been used to fight the problem," Biden announced in an interview with CNN, which was broadcast on Wednesday evening (local time). Israel would receive no support from the USA if it attacked densely populated population centers.

"The bombs that the United States has delivered to Israel and which are now being suspended were used to kill civilians," the US president added. The US government had already withheld a delivery of ammunition to the Israeli armed forces because of Israel's actions in the city of Rafah.

Netanyahu: Operation in Rafah aims to free hostages
Israeli soldiers advanced into parts of Rafah in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday night. According to the army, it also took control of the border crossing on the Palestinian side. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the operation in Rafah is aimed at freeing the remaining hostages and destroying Hamas. As Israel's most important ally, the USA has repeatedly warned Israel's government in recent days and weeks of a large-scale ground offensive in Rafah - Biden spoke of a "red line" in March.

The bombs that the United States has delivered to Israel and which are now being suspended were used to kill civilians.

US-Präsident Joe Biden

Now the US president argued that the Israeli military had not yet "advanced into population centers - what they've done is right on the border". He had made it clear to Netanyahu and his war cabinet that they could not count on US support "if they actually go into those population centers". It was "simply wrong" - and the USA could not provide the weapons and artillery for this.

US already withholding ammunition supplies to Israel
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had shortly before confirmed that the US was already withholding ammunition supplies to the Israeli armed forces because of Israel's actions in Rafah. Austin said that the US government had made it clear from the outset that Israel should not launch a major attack in Rafah without taking civilians in the area into consideration and protecting them. While the US government was assessing the situation, the delivery of ammunition had been stopped. He did not give any details.

The White House was also very cautious and gave no details. When asked about media reports that the delivery would include thousands of bombs, spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said she would not comment on them.

Civilians in Gaza killed by US bombs
In the CNN interview, Biden was also asked whether civilians in Gaza had been killed by the type of US bombs whose delivery had been put on hold for the time being. Biden said: "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a result of these bombs and other methods that they use to attack population centers."

Biden also made it clear that the US government would continue to ensure that Israel had sufficient military equipment for its own defense, such as the Iron Dome missile defense system.

No further compromises on Gaza ceasefire
Meanwhile, the militant Palestinian organization Hamas rejects further concessions in the ongoing negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. "Israel is not serious about an agreement and is using the negotiations as an excuse to invade Rafah and occupy the border crossing," said the representative of the Hamas office, Izzat al-Rishq, in Qatar. They would not go beyond the ceasefire proposal accepted on Monday.

Israel had previously stated that the three-phase proposal was unacceptable because the conditions had been watered down. The aim of ongoing mediation talks in Cairo is to achieve a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip in return for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Egypt, Qatar and the USA are mediating the indirect talks between Hamas and Israel.