Biden pauses military aid to pressure Israel over Rafah

The United States has paused a shipment of bombs to Israel over concerns it will invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah. It marks the first time in the conflict President Joe Biden has applied pressure on Israel using its military aid to the key US ally.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks at Gateway Technical College in Sturtevant, Wisconsin on May 8, 2024. Biden is announcing plans by Microsoft Corp to build a $3.3 billion high-tech data center that will potentially create thousands of jobs in Racine Country, WI. (Photo by Christopher Dilts/Sipa USA) Source: SIPA USA / Christopher Dilts/Chris Dilts/Sipa USA

The United States has suspended a shipment of weapons to Israel.

It includes heavy bombs the U-S ally used in its campaign against Hamas militants in Gaza which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.

The suspension comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues a military assault on the outskirts of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

U-S State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller says the delayed bombs were part of an earlier approved shipment to Israel, not the recent A$144 billion [USD$95 billion] supplemental aid package the U-S Congress passed in April.