Netanyahu: Disputes with the US over arms shipments will be resolved soon

2024-06-23 15:20:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced to his government cabinet that in recent months there has been a "dramatic decline", as he described it, in arms supplies from the United States, while the army continues its operations in Gaza.

"I greatly appreciate the support of President Biden and the US administration for Israel. Since the beginning of the war, the United States of America has provided us with very important support with defense equipment and other weapons. But about 4 months ago there was a dramatic drop in arms supplies from the United States to Israel. We have turned to our American friends with a request to speed up the shipments, we did it with senior officials and other lower ranking officials. I like to emphasize that we made the requests behind closed doors, but we did not get anything", he emphasized, while experts say that this statement once again shows the tensions between the two allies.

US President Joe Biden has delayed the delivery of some heavy bombs since May because of concerns that they could be used in areas where there are many civilians. However, Mr. Netanyahu said that he "hoped and believed that this issue would be resolved very quickly."

Last week, the White House expressed displeasure with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's criticism of US arms shipments, calling his statements "irritating."

Today's statement by the Israeli Prime Minister was made as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant traveled to Washington for meetings with senior officials.

"The United States is our most important ally. Our ties are important and perhaps more important nowadays than ever before", declared Mr. Gallat before the departure, while he did not talk about the issue of weapons.

The war between Israel and Hamas began after the group, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Britain and the European Union, launched an attack in southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

Israel's military response to the Gaza Strip has devastated much of the territory, killing more than 37,598 people and wounding more than 86,032 others, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and civilians. warriors.

In another development, Iran-backed groups in the Middle East say thousands of their fighters are ready to go to Lebanon to join the militant group Hezbollah against Israel. Experts fear the situation could escalate into an all-out war along Israel's northern border with Lebanon, while there have been daily exchanges of attacks since the war in Gaza began.

The situation in the north worsened this month after an Israeli airstrike killed a senior Hezbollah military commander in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah retaliated by firing hundreds of rockets and explosive drones into northern Israel.

Israeli officials have threatened to launch a military offensive against Lebanon if the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from the border cannot be achieved through negotiations./ Voa