The AP news agency refers to a high-ranking official in the Biden administration as the source of the information.
At the weekend, the website Axios received similar information from unnamed Israeli officials.
According to Axios, it is the first time since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October that the US has stopped a weapons delivery to the Israeli military.
Kjelda tells AP that no final decision has been made whether the bombs will be sent later or not. AFP is also informed that the delivery has been delayed again.
Concern for use in cities
The weapons delivery that was stopped should have been 1,800 bombs of 900 kilograms each and 1,700 bombs of 225 kilograms to the Israeli defense.
Israeli armored vehicles drive down “I love Gaza” signs in Rafah. NRK has geolocated the videos.
The AP writes that the US rarely used the 900-kilogram bomb in the long-running war against the extremist jihadist group IS, while Israel has used it regularly in the seven months of attacks against the Gaza Strip.
According to the AP source, the Americans were most concerned about how the bombs would be used in populous urban areas such as Rafah, a city which before the war housed 280,000 people.
Now more than 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge there after fleeing from other parts of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian families and civilians must leave Rafah after seeking refuge there from other cities. The IDF is now bombing parts of the city from the air, and is inside with ground forces.
Photo: Ahmed Abu Kmeil
Defying the United States
On Tuesday, Israel took control of the Rafah border, closing the Gaza Strip’s last avenues for emergency aid. They have not confirmed that this is the start of a long-announced ground invasion of the city, but several experts believe that it is.
– A large-scale operation in the densely populated parts of Rafah will increase the risk of injured and dead civilians. We have repeatedly expressed that to the IDF, John Kirby told AP earlier this week.
He is the spokesperson for national security in the White House.
There is growing concern about what is happening in Rafah now, according to the Washington Post.
Rafah is located in the very south of the Gaza Strip. Now the IDF has ordered several of those who live in the city to seek refuge in Khan Younis, which is the largest city in the south, or in the coastal city of Al Mawasi.
Press ceasefire negotiations
At the same time as the Israeli government is defying American opposition, this week they have rejected a ceasefire proposal that Hamas has agreed to.
The negotiations, which are taking place in Cairo, broke down on Sunday. But on Tuesday they started up again. They involve Israel, Hamas, the USA, Qatar and Egypt.
John Kirby expressed optimism for the negotiations on Tuesday evening.
– We think they are able to approach each other, and we will do everything we can to help them in that process, he said.
The map shows the two border crossings in Rafah; Kerem Shalom and the Rafah crossing. These are now closed after the Israeli Defense Forces took control of them this week.
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Tags: withholds arms deliveries Israel NRK Urix Foreign news documentaries
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