A twist on the conflict in the Middle East. The Biden administration is considering using arms sales to Israel as strategic leverage to persuade Benjamin Netanyahu's government to reconsider military operations in the Gaza Strip. Advice from the White House has led the Pentagon to carefully review weapons shipments requested by Israel and identify potential pressure points, although no final decisions have been made at this time. The sources said the United States is considering slowing or even suspending deliveries in light of Israel's persistent demands for additional weapons, including large aerial bombs, ammunition and air defense systems. According to NBC, this move aims to push Israel to take concrete actions, such as establishing humanitarian corridors to provide aid to Palestinian civilians.
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The possibility of offering the Israeli government more of the requested weapons is also being discussed as an incentive to comply with US demands that want to reduce tensions in the region.
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This approach marks a possible shift in Biden's strategy beyond mere rhetorical pressure to take concrete policy actions to persuade Israel to change its behavior. Despite weeks of efforts by the US president and his national security team, Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have not yet agreed to radically change military tactics in Gaza and take more effective measures to reduce civilian casualties. Many Democrats in Congress continue to pressure the administration to increase its efforts to influence the Israeli government. And now the idea of using weapons as “negotiation chips” is becoming increasingly popular.
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