Israel to push ahead with Rafah plan after Biden ’emboldens Hamas’ with weapons gamble | World | News

Joe Biden withholding weapons from Israel won’t keep Tel Aviv from pursuing its plans for Rafah but only “emboldens Hamas and Iran,” a former Israeli intelligence official claimed.

The Biden administration confirmed last week it had decided to withhold the shipment of certain weapons until Israel proposed plans for its Rafah operation guaranteeing the protection to Palestinian civilians.

Israel gave the order to over 100,000 residents to leave the area ahead of resuming heaving bombardments last week.

The small enclave in the south of the Gaza Strip, which Tel Aviv views as the final effective bastion of Hamas, became home to over 1.4 million refugees since the start of the war in October 2023.

Locals have reported air strikes on civilian areas ever since Israel gave the order to evacuate, with reports claiming the Israeli Air Force also resumed bombings in the north of the country and on the Jabalya refugee encampment.

Despite Biden halting the shipment of the weapons, Benjamin Netanyahu said his country is ready to continue hunting down Hamas members alone.

Former intelligence officer Ali Melamed told the Daily Express that the US President has only “emboldened” the terror group and its allies with his decision.

He said: “Despite the Biden administration withholding critical munitions from Israel in order to force the delay or halt of Israel’s Rafah operation, it’s unlikely that these munitions were the integral weapon required for Israel’s planned operation.

“It’s clear from the IDF’s operation that Israel’s operational plans for Rafah are going to be slower and more deliberate, rather than the ‘Shock & Awe’ approach it took to some of the other battles earlier in the war.”