IDF spokesman plays down US arms shipment holdup, says disagreements resolved privately

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. The Israel Defense Forces appeared Wednesday to minimize the seemingly unprecedented holdup of an arms shipment by a US administration concerned by the prospect of a major Israeli operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, saying the allies resolve any disagreements “behind closed doors,” the Times of Israel reports.

Asked about the issue at a Tel Aviv conference, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari described coordination between Israel and the United States as reaching “a scope without precedent, I think, in Israel’s history.”

Pressed about the stalled delivery of heavy bombs, Hagari said, “We are responsible for the security interests of Israel and we pay attention to the US interests in the arena.”

He lauded the scale of cooperation between IDF headquarters and the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) during the war, saying “there is something more important than security assistance and that is operational support.”

As reported earlier, the United Statespaused a shipment of bombs to Israel amid concerns over their potential use in aRafah incursion. The shipment, which washeld backlast week, includes 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000pounds(900 kg) and 1,700 bombs weighing 500pounds (225 kg).

On Tuesday morning Israel Defense Forces took over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, IDF said in a statement. The Israeli army had told Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah ahead of an expected assault.