US defense chief says delivery of high payload munitions to Israel delayed due to op in Rafah

During hearings in Congress on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the US delayed the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Israel due to the country's plans to carry out an offensive in Rafah. Austin added that Washington has conveyed to the Israeli leadership its concern for the lives of civilians "in that battlespace."

Austin emphasized that a final determination on providing that shipment to Israel has not yet been made.

"We intend to continue to do everything necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself while, at the same time, we are considering postponing some short-term deliveries in the context of the evolving events in Rafah," Austin said.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the shipment to Israel of a batch of weapons and ammunition worth $260 million has been delayed. This batch included 6,500 sets of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) that convert unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs," into all-weather precision-guided munitions.