The White House: Weapons are still being shipped to Israel and intelligence support continues

While the controversy continues over US President Joe Biden's threats to suspend the supply of weapons to Israel, White House National Security Council Advisor John Kirby confirmed that his country continues to this day to provide the necessary military and intelligence support to Tel Aviv in its war on Gaza.

Kirby said in a statement at a press conference held in Washington on Friday: “Weapons are still being shipped to Israel, and they are getting the bulk of everything (weapons) to defend themselves.”

He stressed that the US administration pledged "to spend every cent it receives through additional requests from Congress to provide the capabilities that Israel needs," stressing that it "will continue this commitment."

The support provided by Washington to Tel Aviv was not limited to the military field, but rather extended to intelligence support, as Kirby revealed that Washington had provided Israel with intelligence information about Hamas leaders, with the aim of “providing an alternative to a comprehensive ground operation in the city of Rafah.”

He added, "We can also help them target leaders such as (Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar), which we frankly do with the Israelis all the time."

But the American official quickly tried to retract his statements, explaining to reporters: “I did not say that we are helping them with specific targeting. We can help provide the conditions for them to continue pursuing Hamas leaders, and we have excellent cooperation with them in combating terrorism.”

In turn, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said that the United States has provided billions of dollars in security aid to Israel.

Regarding the shipment of American weapons whose shipments were suspended last week, Ryder said: “We are currently reviewing some security assistance in the near term.”

On Wednesday evening, US President Joe Biden said in an interview with CNN that Washington would not send weapons to Israel if it expanded the scope of its military operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday, the Israeli occupation army announced “operational control” of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, hours after Hamas announced its approval of the mediators’ proposal for a ceasefire and the exchange of prisoners and detainees.

Since October 7, Israel has been waging a war on Gaza, leaving more than 113,000 dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and about 10,000 missing amid massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of children and the elderly.