Biden’s Red Line on Providing Weapons to Israel: Where Does it Stand?

President Joe Biden’s red line on providing certain American weapons to Israel was put to the test this week after a deadly Israeli airstrike in Rafah resulted in the deaths of dozens of Palestinian civilians. Despite the tragic incident, the White House made it clear that it did not cross Biden’s red line.

The concept of this red line has been somewhat elusive since Biden first mentioned it in March, with his aides initially dismissing it as a media obsession. However, Biden has since conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there are actions that could trigger a new approach from the United States.

While Biden has remained vague about how he will quantify such a decision, many Democrats and foreign leaders believe that Israel’s actions have crossed a red line, either Biden’s or their own based on international law.

The rift between Biden and Netanyahu widened as Israel made plans to enter Rafah, prompting concerns from American officials about the potential humanitarian disaster that could unfold. Biden eventually stated that he was prepared to withhold certain types of weapons should Israel move on Rafah, marking a turning point in US-Israel relations.

Despite the recent deadly strike on a displacement camp in Rafah, the White House determined that it did not meet Biden’s threshold for stopping certain weapons shipments. The administration believes that a major ground invasion by Israel would be obvious and that the recent attack, while tragic, did not constitute such an operation.

The situation in Rafah remains tense, with the international community closely watching Israel’s actions and Biden’s response. The White House continues to navigate the complexities of the situation, balancing support for Israel with concerns for civilian casualties.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.