Former President Trump chastised President Biden early Thursday morning for threatening to withhold certain offensive weapons from Israel if Israeli forces invade Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.
“Crooked Joe Biden, whether he knows it or not, just said he will withhold weapons from Israel as they fight to eradicate Hamas Terrorists in Gaza,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Hamas murdered thousands of innocent civilians, including babies, and are still holding Americans hostage, if the hostages are still alive.”
The former president also accused Biden of “taking the side of these terrorists,” and claimed once again that the war between Israel and Hamas would not have broken out if he were in office.
Biden warned Wednesday that he would stop supplying Israel with offensive weapons like bombs and artillery shells if Israeli forces launch an invasion of Rafah, laying down a clear line amid outcry over the conflict in Gaza.
“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities — that deal with that problem,” the president said.
Trump himself has been critical of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Hamas attacks last October that killed more than 1,000 Israelis and over his handling of the ensuing conflict in Gaza.
Biden said Wednesday that his administration would ensure Israel is able to respond to attacks, but artillery shells and other offensive munitions would be reconsidered.
The White House has urged Israel against sending forces into Rafah without a clear plan to evacuate civilians safely, as the war has already left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead. About a million refugees have settled in Rafah after fleeing fighting in northern Gaza.
But Netanyahu has been adamant about plans to destroy Hamas, the group that controls the Gaza Strip and orchestrated the Oct. 7 attacks that killed more than 1,100 Israelis. And he says that requires going after Hamas leaders hiding out in Rafah.
The U.S. reportedly paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns of a looming full-scale invasion of Rafah. But his comments Wednesday mark the first time the president has explicitly threatened to cut off the shipment of offensive weapons to the U.S. ally.
