Israel hits Rafah as US warns major assault could halt arms transfers

RAFAH, May 9: Smoke rose from strikes on Gazas crowded southern city of Rafah Thursday after US President Joe Biden vowed to stop supplying artillery shells and other weapons to Israel if a full-scale offensive into the city goes ahead.

It was the starkest warning yet from the United States, Israels main military provider, over the civilian impact of its war against Hamas Palestinian militants. An AFP correspondent and witnesses on Thursday reported strikes on several parts of Rafah, where the United Nations said 1.4 million people were sheltering.

"The tanks and jets are striking," Tarek Bahlul said on a deserted Rafah street. "Every minute you hear a rocket and you don know where it will land."
Israel has already defied international objections by sending in tanks and conducting what it called "targeted raids" in eastern Rafah, the city it says is home to Hamass last remaining battalions.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Biden warned he would stop some US weapons supplies to Israel if it carried out its long-threatened major Rafah ground offensive.

Israel on Thursday called Bidens comments "very disappointing".

Biden told CNN: "If they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used... to deal with the cities."
"We e not gonna supply the weapons and the artillery shells that have been used."

Asked about Israels action already in Rafah, Biden said "they haven gone in the population centres".

The fresh warning came after his administration paused delivery last week of 1,800 2,000-pound (907-kilo) bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs as Israel appeared ready to attack Rafah.

"Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs," Biden said. "Its just wrong."

Ties between the allies have become increasingly strained as Biden and other top Washington officials criticise Israel over its conduct of the war.

In Israels first reaction to Bidens threat, its UN ambassador Gilad Erdan called it a "very disappointing statement". "If Israel is restricted from entering an area as important and central as Rafah where there are thousands of terrorists, hostages and leaders of Hamas, how exactly are we supposed to achieve our goals?" he said on public radio.

Ari Tolany, who follows the arms trade for the progressive Center for International Policy, doubted the halt would have "an immediate operational impact", but it sent a message to Israel not to drop 2,000-pound bombs, as it already has in the war.    —AFP