Israel will fight with its ‘fingernails’ – Netanyahu defies US ultimatum — RT World News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will continue its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza even if the allies refuse. His comments came shortly after US President Joe Biden warned the Israeli leadership that any large-scale operation in Rafah would mean halting supplies of key defense equipment.

The city, located in the south of the Gaza Strip, is considered the last large population center still outside Israeli control. Hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians have taken refuge there in recent months, and some estimates put the current population at more than one million. As the Israeli offensive continues, the movement of humanitarian convoys transporting food and medicine has reportedly been disrupted in recent days.

Earlier this week, Israeli troops and tanks entered the eastern areas of Rafah in what Israel described as an operation “Limited” After warplanes bombed the city.

Speaking on Thursday, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we want to, we will fight with our nails. But there is much more to us than just our nails.” He pointed out that in 1948 Israel gained its independence though “Arms embargo.”

On the same day, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari insisted that the army “It has weapons for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah as well.”

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, US President Biden warned: “If they go to Rafah, I am not supplying them with the weapons that were used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – which are dealing with this problem.”

He pointed out that the Israeli army did not do this “He went to population centers.” He also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to defending Israel, saying that the United States will do so “Continuing to ensure that Israel is secure with respect to Iron Dome and its ability to respond to recent attacks emanating from the Middle East.”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin informed members of Congress on Wednesday that Washington had already frozen arms shipments to Israel last week, according to the Financial Times. The newspaper claimed that the United States had not made the final decision on the weapons, however.

The stalled delivery allegedly included thousands of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs.

According to the Financial Times, the United States has not resorted to such restrictions on shipments since the start of the conflict in Gaza last October, with more than 100 arms shipments approved so far.