TEL AVIV: Israeli officials objected to U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to pause a shipment of some weapons to Israel amid concern over Israel’s plan to expand a military operation in Rafah that the United States does not support.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan called the move “a difficult and very disappointing statement to hear from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war.”

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posted on X, formerly known as Twittter, “Hamas loves Biden.”

Biden told CNN in an interview aired Wednesday night that the U.S. would continue to supply Israel with defensive arms, such as Iron Dome munitions.

“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,” he said.

Biden’s decision followed discussions with Israel on how it will “operate differently against Hamas there than they have elsewhere in Gaza,” a senior administration official said in a statement sent to VOA. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

A ground assault on Rafah, in the southern part of Gaza, would endanger the lives of 1.3 million civilians who evacuated from the north and central parts of the territory to seek safety from Israel’s military response to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.

Administration officials have repeatedly said the U.S. will not support a Rafah invasion unless Israel provides a credible plan on how it would protect civilians.

In an April 4 phone call, Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would withhold military aid unless Israel changes its war conduct.

(VOA)