Israel-Gaza - live: US pauses shipment of bombs to Israel amid concerns over Rafah offensive

The US paused a shipment of weapons to Israel last week in an apparent show of opposition to Israeli’s decision to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing the war have sought refuge.

A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, claimed that as Israeli leaders seemed to approach a decision on the assault, the Joe Biden administration “began to carefully review proposed transfers of particular weapons to Israel that might be used in Rafah”, beginning in April.

“As a result of that review, we have paused one shipment of weapons last week,” the official said.

Meanwhile, a Hamas official named Osama Hamda warned that if Israel’s military aggression in Rafah continued, there would be no truce agreement.

The US, however, expressed hope that remaining differences between Israel and Hamas can be bridged in negotiations over the Palestinian militant group’s latest ceasefire proposal as talks resume in Cairo today.

Israeli forces on Tuesday seized the main border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in Rafah, cutting off a vital route for aid into the tiny Palestinian enclave.

The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency is due to meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu today.

Bill Burns is also due to hold talks with other top officials, in the wake of the news that the US has paused a shipment of bombs over concerns of a full-scale assault on Rafah.

On Monday, the IDF told civillians in Gaza to move to a “humanitarian zone” north-west of the city to avoid being harmed in an imminent attack.

Israel has ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from the city of Rafah in Gaza, as fears of a ground invasion become urgent.

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