White House makes 2,000-pound bombs available to Israel, undoing Biden’s pause

A Palestinian child plays with the rubble after Israel bombs Palestinians’ tents and shelters in Rafah, Gaza, on May 27, 2024.

Hani Alshaer | Anadolu | Getty Images

President Donald Trump’s White House has instructed the U.S. military to release a hold imposed by the Biden administration on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, a White House source told Reuters on Saturday.

The move was widely expected. Then-President Joe Biden put the hold on the delivery of those bombs due to concern over the impact they could have in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. A ceasefire to halt the war was recently agreed.

The Biden administration’s particular concern had been over the use of such large bombs in the city of Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians in Gaza had taken refuge.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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