On Wednesday, May 8, the United States took an unprecedented step in its close but complex relationship with Israel. The Biden administration confirmed the previous week's suspension of an arms shipment to its ally, engaged for seven months in a deadly war in the Gaza Strip. This involved 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds and 1,700 bombs weighing 500 pounds. Further deliveries scheduled for the near future are likely to be reevaluated, depending on events at Rafah.

This was a clear warning, staged by press leaks, to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "I've made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet: They're not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centers," warned Joe Biden, in an interview with CNN broadcast later in the evening.

The American president stressed that, for the time being, the Israelis had taken only the Rafah border crossing, thus provoking "problems" with Egypt, Washington's key interlocutor in this crisis. But Biden declared: "[In the event of a large-scale operation,] we're not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells." This is a turning point, but not a strategic break, in the US administration's total support for Israel since October 7, 2023.

On March 6, the Washington Post revealed that nearly 100 arms deliveries had already been arranged in six months, amounting to a veritable airlift. On April 24, Biden signed a bill, passed by Congress, granting $15 billion (€14 billion) in additional aid to Israel and the Palestinians. Of this sum, $5 billion was earmarked for Israel's three missile defense systems.

This package is not called into question as it is seen as crucial in light of Iran's recent drone and missile attack on Israel. On the other hand, the US is questioning the delivery of heavy bombs used indiscriminately by Israel. Very belatedly, seven months after the start of the war, the US administration is finally using this pressure lever, even though the state of Israeli stocks is unknown.

This decision reflects both the exasperation caused in Washington by Benjamin Netanyahu, apprehension about the consequences of a massive operation in Rafah, and a legal question about American responsibility. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those [American] bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," admitted Biden on CNN.

On the same day, the State Department announced that it was postponing the submission of a long-awaited report to Congress. It must establish whether or not Israel has violated international humanitarian law in Gaza. If so, deliveries of offensive weapons could be halted. According to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, the report should be finalized in the next few days. In the Department's inner circles, an intense debate has been developing for months over the notion of responsibility by association for war crimes.

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