Mr. Kirby additionally tried to assuage considerations that the US was breaking with its closest ally within the Center East.
“The argument that someway we’re strolling away from Israel fly within the face of the details,” Mr. Kirby stated Thursday, citing Mr. Biden’s go to to Israel throughout the days of the Oct. 7 assault, offering cash and navy experience for its struggle, and placing American fighter pilots within the sky to shoot down Iranian drones.
He stated the US believes that Israel has “put an infinite quantity of strain on Hamas, and that there are higher methods to go after what’s left of Hamas in Rafah than a serious floor operation.”
Mr. Kirby stated the US was nonetheless working with Israel on methods it may assist it defeat Hamas, reminiscent of guaranteeing that the border between Gaza and Egypt can’t be used for smuggling weapons and concentrating on Hamas’s leaders.
He additionally famous that whereas the US has briefly paused the switch of bombs, Israel was “nonetheless getting the huge, overwhelming majority of the whole lot that they should defend themselves,” and {that a} current funding bundle handed by Congress will proceed to ship billions to Israel.
Mr. Biden’s determination to pause sure weapons shipments to Israel underscored brewing frustrations between Mr. Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.
Mr. Netanyahu has stated that Israel would transfer ahead with its invasion in Rafah even with out world assist. Within the final week, Israeli forces have carried out quite a lot of focused strikes within the Rafah, and confirmed different indicators of a serious floor invasion, together with the evacuation of greater than 100,000 folks.
On Thursday, the Israeli chief stated: “If we have to stand alone, we are going to stand alone. I’ve stated that, if mandatory, we are going to combat with our fingernails. However now we have rather more than fingernails and with that very same energy of spirit, with God’s assist, collectively we are going to win.”
