US says ‘currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments’ to Israel

WASHINGTON

The US is "currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments" to Israel, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday, adding that the US would like to see "no major combat" in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

"We're gonna continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself. But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," Austin said during his testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee about the Pentagon’s budget for the fiscal year 2025.

Austin said the US has been very clear from the very beginning that Israel should not launch a major attack in Rafah without first accounting for and protecting the civilians in the battlespace.

"As we have assessed the situation, we pause one shipment of high payload munitions...We certainly would like to see no major combat take place in Rafah," said Austin.

"We've not made a final determination on how to proceed with that shipment and I would highlight that this shipment doesn't have anything to do with the supplemental appropriations that you just helped us get," he added.