US pauses ammunition shipment to Israel

The Biden administration has put a pause on a shipment of United States-made ammunition that was headed to Israel, according to reports.

Axios first reported about the ammunition shipment being paused, citing those familiar with the matter. According to the report, the hold was not connected to a potential Israeli operation in Rafah and won’t affect shipments moving forward.

A National Security Council spokesperson was asked about the paused shipment by CNN , and they cited ongoing security assistance to Israel.

“The United States has surged billions of dollars in security assistance to Israel since the October 7 attacks, passed the largest ever supplemental appropriation for emergency assistance to Israel, led an unprecedented coalition to defend Israel against Iranian attacks, and will continue to do what is necessary to ensure Israel can defend itself from the threats it faces,” the spokesperson said.

The announcement followed an end to a ceasefire negotiation between Israel and Hamas, which is still holding more than 100 hostages.

With talks for an extended pause in fighting not yet bringing forth any agreement, many are wondering whether or not Israel will slow its assault.

Dan Raviv, a former CBS News foreign correspondent , shared with Audacy that he doesn’t see Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pulling his forces back.

“What Prime Minister Netanyahu says is that you cannot stop. Israel has to achieve a victory,” Raviv said. “Because on October 7 last year, when 1200 people were killed in Israel and 250 taken hostage. It was so humiliating to the Israelis that it ruined their image of strength and invincibility.”

Now, the last Hamas-controlled city in Gaza is Rafah, which Israel is planning on attacking, according to reports.

However, Raviv says this may be behind the paused shipment, saying that the United States does not support action in the city.

“The United States is clearly against Israel going in. And so U.S. mediators are trying to work out a deal for a long-lasting ceasefire,” Raviv said. “Again, Netanyahu says there’s no way we have to win this war. But at stake, 132 hostages are still being held by Hamas, almost all of them Israelis, about five believed to be U.S. citizens.”

Still, U.S. officials have shared that there is no policy change toward its relationship with Israel coming. Last month, Biden signed a foreign aid bill that included $26 billion for the Israel-Hamas war.

On Monday afternoon Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal set forth by Egypt and Qatar that could potentially stop the group’s seven-month war with Israel. Israel had yet to comment at the time of this story’s publication.