US envoy to Israel plays down decision to halt weapons shipment
Jacob Lew has downplayed the US’s recent decision to hold back the delivery of high-payload munitions, noting that the Biden administration decided to keep arming Israel last week after conducting a highly controversial assessment into Israeli actions in Gaza.
“We are providing an enormous amount of aid. We have been since before October 7. It’s increased since October 7. And even this week, as everyone is focusing on the decision to just delay – to hold – one set of ammunitions, everything else keeps flowing,” he told Israeli media.
“What the secretary concluded was there would be no interruption in US aid for Israel,” he said, referring to the US review. “That’s of huge consequence. You look at that in the context of one shipment of heavy bombs being delayed. You have to look at it in the broader context.”
The assessment in question found that Israeli forces likely used US-supplied weapons in a manner “inconsistent” with international law, but stopped short of identifying violations that would put an end to the ongoing military aid.
Israel says it opened new crossing into north Gaza
The Israeli military says it opened the “Western Erez” [Beit Hanoon] crossing into northern Gaza to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid “in accordance with the directive of the government of Israel and in coordination with the US government”.
There were no additional details.
The move came as Israeli tanks pushed deeper into the Jabalia refugee camp in north Gaza and sent tanks back into the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods of Gaza City.
Israel’s seizure of Rafah border crossing was a ‘red line’ for Egypt
Tamer Qarmout, assistant professor of public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, also spoke to Al Jazeera about Egypt joining South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
He said the relationship between Egypt and Israel is “very sensitive”, considering they have fought wars in the past and signed a peace treaty. Egypt had wanted to maintain its position as a mediator in the ceasefire negotiations, so it had “played along” with the US’s approach to Israel’s war on Gaza, he said.
However, now Egypt has reached a point where it understands the situation in Gaza is “out of control”, and they cannot trust the United States or the Israelis, Qarmout said.
The Rafah corridor is a “red line” for the Egyptians, he said, adding the fact that Israeli tanks are on the border is a violation of the Camp David peace accords.
The Egyptians, Qarmout noted, are worried now that Israel will push Palestinian civilians into the Sinai Peninsula.
This handout picture shows the 401st Brigade’s combat team tanks entering the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on May 7
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