For some months now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been losing President Joe Biden's patience. Relentlessly, Biden has urged Netanyahu to exercise patience, scale down his airstrikes on Gaza, and provide humanitarian corridors to let assistance to reach Palestinians. In addition, Biden has requested that Netanyahu prepare for a post-conflict two-state solution. Netanyahu has renounced all of these demands openly.
The United States, which has supported Israel's military with billions of dollars each year for decades, finds itself in an awkward position. Since Biden has been under pressure from younger voters and members of his own party for refusing to press for a cease-fire, the ongoing violence poses a political risk to him.
Israel's scorched-earth reaction for Hamas's October 7 strikes has resulted in the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Due to the extent of the damage, there are demonstrations and animosity against Israel taking place globally. Therefore, the Biden administration is now subtly contemplating withholding funding in an attempt to eventually push Netnayahu's hand, according to NBC News.
Based on information from four current and former US officials, Biden has instructed the Defense Department to go over the weapons Israel has sought and identify which ones may be used as leverage, NBC said. Israel has requested ammunition, air defenses, and aerial bombs, according to NBC.
The sources told NBC that, in order to protect Israeli residents, they would probably keep providing air defenses, but they would reduce the amount of artillery fire and joint direct strike munitions, which can improve bomb accuracy.
The United States, which has supported Israel's military with billions of dollars each year for decades, finds itself in an awkward position. Since Biden has been under pressure from younger voters and members of his own party for refusing to press for a cease-fire, the ongoing violence poses a political risk to him.
Israel's scorched-earth reaction for Hamas's October 7 strikes has resulted in the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Due to the extent of the damage, there are demonstrations and animosity against Israel taking place globally. Therefore, the Biden administration is now subtly contemplating withholding funding in an attempt to eventually push Netnayahu's hand, according to NBC News.
Based on information from four current and former US officials, Biden has instructed the Defense Department to go over the weapons Israel has sought and identify which ones may be used as leverage, NBC said. Israel has requested ammunition, air defenses, and aerial bombs, according to NBC.
The sources told NBC that, in order to protect Israeli residents, they would probably keep providing air defenses, but they would reduce the amount of artillery fire and joint direct strike munitions, which can improve bomb accuracy.
