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JOE Biden’s decision to block the shipment of thousands of bombs to Israel has been blasted by an ex-Israeli aide as “incredibly disturbing”.
British-Israeli politician Eylon Levy said now is a critical time for Israel and it needs the support of its Western allies to see the remaining 128 hostages freed from Hamas captivity.
The Sun
The SunThe US axed a shipment of 3,500 heavy-duty bombs bound for Israel amid fears it would use the ammunition in its ground offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, it was revealed last night.
Speaking on The Sun’s politics show Never Mind The Ballots, former Israeli government spokesman Mr Levy said of the move: “It’s an incredibly disturbing step.
“What Israel needs right now is its Western allies to keep up pressure on Hamas to release the hostages.
“Just as importantly, to keep up pressure on Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy that has been firing rockets at northern Israel for seven months now, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, we need our Western allies to make clear that we stand firm together…”
The ex-spokesman was interrupted by pro-Palestinian commentator Narinder Kaur, who raised questions about why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a ceasefire deal proposed by militant group Hamas before Israeli tanks and forces entered Rafah.
Israel rejected the proposal on Monday night, and pushed ahead with its long-threatened assault on the refugee-filled city on Tuesday.
Ms Kaur said: “How on Earth can you sit there and say, ‘Oh, we need our Western allies…?’
“Netanyahu has just not agreed to the ceasefire. He’s just said ‘no’ to having the hostages released, and you’re sat there saying, ‘We need the hostages back.’
“He’s just failed in getting the hostages back. He just wants to go in and kill more. What are you on about?”
Mr Levy hit back at the former Big Brother contestant, stating: “No, that’s not true.”
He said: “There was a framework on the table that would see Israel receive 33 live hostages back in exchange for a pause in the fighting.
“What Hamas did the other day, was put a counter offer, in which it told Israel, ‘We’re not giving you back live hostages. We’re going to give you 33 hostages, alive or dead.’
“And as much as Israel is committed to getting all of those hostages back for a dignified burial, so their families can have that closure, Israel is not going to be bought off at this stage with the corpses of the hostages Hamas has been starving and executing and torturing…”
You can also watch The Sun’s Political Editor Harry Cole grill MP Steve Reed on Never Mind the Ballots on The Sun’s YouTube channel and thesun.co.uk.
At another point during the heated segment, Mr Levy revealed Hamas thugs are holding Israeli hostages as “sex slaves in dungeons”.
Ms Kaur furiously slammed the politician’s claims, calling them “lies” and “wild accusations”.
She said: “The world isn’t listening a second longer. The world doesn’t care for your lies… I tell you what, they care about 30,000 people [allegedly killed in Gaza].
“Surrender. Stop with your lies. We don’t care. Surrender.”
The US cancelled a weapons shipment of 1,800 2,000lb bombs and another 1,700 500lb bombs, a US official revealed last night.
It followed repeated calls by the Biden Administration – and other Western governments – to avert a Rafah invasion amid concerns for the safety of the city’s 1.5 million civilian population.
The administration official told CBS News that Israel had not “fully addressed” its concerns regarding Rafah.
Israel commenced a so-called “limited” ground offensive on Rafah early on Tuesday.
Tanks and troops seized control of the Rafah crossing into Egypt as airstrikes continued to devastate the battered city.
The White House has heavily condemned Israeli forces taking control of the crossing as it is the main route for aid to be provided to Gaza.
Israel predicts the assault will last six weeks, with its defence forces claiming to have killed 20 Hamas operatives in the first hours.
Netanyahu believes Rafah is Hamas’ last major stronghold in the Gaza Strip and that Israel has “no other choice” but to enter it, destroy the Hamas battalions there, and return the hostages to Israel.
What is happening with ceasefire negotiations?
ISRAEL on Monday night rejected a ceasefire proposal by Hamas and pushed on with its long-threatened assault into Rafah on Tuesday.
But where does that leave the ongoing truce talks?
There was a slither of hope on Monday night as senior Hamas officials said they had accepted a ceasefire deal – sparking short-lived but loud celebrations across Gaza.
However, Israel rejected their proposal, saying it fell short of “core demands”.
An Israeli official described Hamas’s announcement as “a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal”.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has offered a 40-day truce and the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the most vulnerable of Israeli hostages to be freed in terms deemed “very generous” by Britain and the US.
But Hamas refused to budge on their stance, stating that any agreement must involve the complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and permanent end to the war.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected that trade-off, vowing to keep up their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.
As hope of a ceasefire hangs on by a thread, Israel sent a delegation to the talks in Cairo on Tuesday to try and reach an agreement.
English (US)