President Donald Trump has directed the US military to lift the hold placed by former President Joe Biden on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, a White House source told Reuters on Saturday.
The decision, which had been anticipated, comes after Biden delayed the delivery of these bombs due to concerns about their potential impact on civilians, particularly in Gaza’s Rafah, during Israel’s military campaign in the Palestinian territory.
“Many items ordered and paid for by Israel, but blocked under Biden, are now being delivered!” Trump announced on the Truth Social platform, without elaborating further.
Both Trump and Biden have been staunch supporters of US ally Israel, despite growing criticism from human rights groups over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by Israel’s military actions against Hamas. Protesters have repeatedly but unsuccessfully called for an arms embargo.
A ceasefire has been in effect for a week, facilitating the release of some Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel. Before taking office on Jan. 20, Trump warned there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas did not release the hostages.
Hamas had taken approximately 250 hostages during its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, according to Israeli reports. This attack ignited the latest escalation in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In response, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that, according to the Gaza health ministry, has resulted in over 47,000 deaths. These events have led to allegations of genocide and war crimes, which Israel denies. The conflict has also displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza and triggered a severe hunger crisis.
The US has justified its support for Israel as a measure to counter threats from Iran-backed groups, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.
