Israel-Gaza war: Biden to halt some arms supplies if Israel invades Rafah

 Israel-Gaza war: Biden to halt some arms supplies if Israel invades Rafah

President Biden faces mounting domestic pressure - from some Democrats and parts of the US public - to rein in Israeli operations in Gaza amid rising civilian deaths and a worsening humanitarian situation.

US officials confirmed that no new aid supplies had been delivered in Gaza via two gates in the south since Israeli tanks rolled into southern Rafah and took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing with Egypt this week.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the US had provided "unprecedented" security assistance since the beginning of the war, adding that disputes between the allies were resolved "behind closed doors in a matter-of-fact way".

But a leading member of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party in told the BBC's Newshour on Wednesday he believed US domestic political considerations were behind the decision to halt the delivery of bombs.

I totally disagree that the American election has nothing to do with it," said Boaz Bismuth, a member of both the Israeli parliament and the foreign affairs and defence committee.

Rafah has been a key entry point for aid, and the only exit for people able to flee, since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas last October.

The crossing remained closed on Wednesday morning, but the Israeli military said it was reopening the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing, which had been closed for four days because of Hamas rocket fire.

On Monday, the Israeli military ordered tens of thousands of civilians to begin evacuating eastern parts of Rafah city, ahead of what it called a "limited" operation to eliminate Hamas fighters and dismantle infrastructure.

Meanwhile, efforts continue to reach a ceasefire, alongside the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. In Cairo, delegations from Israel and Hamas have resumed negotiations through mediators.

A US official said that talks with Israel were "ongoing and have not fully addressed our concerns" and the US had been reviewing its weapons transfers to Israel since April.

Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group's attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 252 others were taken hostage, according to Israel.

More than 34,780 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

A deal agreed in November saw Hamas release 105 hostages in return for a week-long ceasefire and some 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israel says 128 hostages are unaccounted for, 36 of whom are presumed dead.