White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday declined to answer a question about reports that the United States is delaying the sale of weapons to Israel.
“We don't comment on specific cases. What I can say, and we have been saying, and we will reiterate from here, is that our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad,” Jean-Pierre said.
The Biden administration is reportedly holding up shipments of some weapons to Israel. The move comes as the Biden administration had tried to increase pressure on Israel not to launch an invasion into Rafah, without a plan to protect over a million civilians who are seeking refuge there.
“You're trying to send a message to the Israelis in private, but you don't want to make that from here?” a reporter asked Jean-Pierre.
“What I will say is, our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad. I'm not going to speak to every case,” the press secretary replied.
Israel overnight launched airstrikes on Rafah, killing at least 23 people, and took over the Palestinian side of the border crossing with Egypt. This comes after Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal Monday brokered by Qatar and Egypt, but Israel said the deal was “far from” its requirements and continued the forced evacuation of people in eastern Rafah. Still, Israel has sent a delegation to continue peace talks in Cairo, where CIA Director William Burns is also present.
