U.S. pauses Israel arms shipment over Rafah assault fears as Biden pushes for a cease-fire deal

The United States halted a large shipment of offensive weapons to Israel last week in a sign of its growing concern over a possible military offensive on Rafah, senior administration officials told NBC News.

The decision comes as President Joe Biden pushes for Israel and Hamas to compromise and reach a cease-fire deal that would head off a large-scale assault on the city in southern Gaza, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering in dire conditions.

The Israeli military said it had reopened a key border crossing Wednesday following pressure from Washington, and a day after its ground forces seized control of the Gaza side of another crossing — a move that fueled fears for aid supplies into the enclave, but which U.S. officials said was a limited operation not the full-scale assault Biden has warned against.

Bombs on hold

The White House halted the shipment of weaponry last week because of concern that it would be used in Rafah, a senior administration official said Tuesday night. The shipment included 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, the official said.

The Biden administration had been "especially focused" on ending Israel's use of 2,000-pound bombs in its offensive in Gaza, the official said, given the impact they have on dense urban areas.

Israel already has a large arsenal, making the halt unlikely to stop an offensive.

And the Israeli military appeared to play down the dispute, with a spokesman saying Wednesday that the two allies resolve any disagreements “behind closed doors,” according to Reuters.