Biden issues Rafah ultimatum to Israel

West Jerusalem will be deprived of US weapons if it launches a full-scale invasion

US President Joe Biden has vowed to halt the supply of any “offensive” weapons that Israel could use in a major military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. 

The US leader’s remarks in an interview with CNN on Wednesday come after Israeli tanks and troops entered the eastern districts of Rafah on Monday night, seizing the main border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. This was preceded by airstrikes on the densely populated city. 

However, Biden believes that Israel has yet to cross Washington's red line.

“They haven’t gotten into the population centers. What they did was right on the border,” Biden told CNN’s Erin Burnett.

“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem,” Biden added.

The US has already paused a shipment of weapons to Israel last week over concerns of West Jerusalem’s looming ground operation in Rafah, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. However, Washington has not decided the final fate of the arms.

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