U.S. Resumes 500-Pound Bomb Shipments to Israel

The United States has announced the resumption of a delayed shipment of 500-pound bombs to Israel, while continuing to withhold the delivery of more powerful 2,000-pound bombs. This decision comes after a two-month pause in weapons deliveries, which had become a contentious issue in U.S.-Israel relations.

According to a U.S. official, the Biden administration's primary concern has been the potential use of the larger 2,000-pound bombs in densely populated areas of Gaza, particularly during Israel's operations in the southern city of Rafah. The official stated, "We've been clear that our concern has been on the end-use of the 2,000-pound bombs, particularly for Israel's Rafah campaign, which they have announced they are concluding."

The 500-pound bombs, however, are now "moving forward as part of the usual process," the official said. The shipment of the smaller bombs had been delayed due to the administration's concerns over their co-mingling with the larger 2,000-pound bombs, which remain on hold.

"Our main concern had been and remains the potential use of 2,000-pound bombs in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza," the official explained. "Because our concern was not about the 500-pound bombs, those are moving forward as part of the usual process."

The decision to resume the 500-pound bomb shipment comes after intensive negotiations and diplomatic efforts led by Israel's Defense Ministry, including the involvement of the ministry's director general and head of the planning division, as well as the Defense Minister, who recently visited the United States to advocate for the release of the delayed shipment.

The issue of delayed arms shipments has been a source of tension between the U.S. and Israel since May, when the Biden administration initially paused the transfer of certain munitions due to concerns over their potential impact in densely populated areas of Gaza. This included the 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs, which were seen as likely to cause significant civilian casualties during operations against Hamas.

Despite the pause on the specific shipment, Israel has continued to receive a steady flow of U.S. weaponry. Reuters reports that between the start of the Gaza war last October and the end of June, the U.S. had transferred at least 14,000 of the MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, 2,600 air-dropped small-diameter bombs, and other munitions.

The resumption of the 500-pound bomb shipments is likely to reignite criticism of the Biden administration's ongoing support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas. The Palestinian death toll from the war has exceeded 38,000, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health, leaving the coastal enclave in ruins and its population on the brink of famine amid an outbreak of disease.

As the U.S. and Israel navigate their complex relationship, the issue of arms shipments and their potential impact on civilian populations in Gaza remains a significant point of contention. The Biden administration's decision to resume the 500-pound bomb deliveries, while maintaining the hold on the larger 2,000-pound bombs, reflects the delicate balance it seeks to strike between supporting its ally and addressing concerns over the scale of civilian casualties.