(8 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington – 8 May 2024
1. STILL of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at hearing
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sturtevant, Wisconsin – 8 May 2024
2. STILL of President Joe Biden
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rafah, Gaza Strip – 6 May 2024
3. STILL of smoke rising following Israeli airstrike
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington – 8 May 2024
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press:
“Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that President Biden last week had ordered the Pentagon to pause shipment of big bombs to Israel, including 2,000 pound bombs and 500 pound bombs that were supposed to be headed to Israel. This decision comes as Israel is ramping up its operations in Rafah, which is a city in southern Gaza where over a million people, Palestinian people have massed as the war is going on. Israel has pushed forward with a plan to strike Rafah, even though the Biden administration says that it is too risky and would cost too many innocent Palestinian lives and worsen the incredible despair that’s already going on in the territory if they would move forward with this operation in a really tightly packed, dense urban area.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rafah, Gaza Strip – 8 May 2024
5. Smoke rising out of building
6. Various of people evacuating
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington – 8 May 2024
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Aamer Madhani, The Associated Press:
“The decision by the president comes at a really delicate time, for both him and for Prime Minister Netanyahu politically, at home. Netanyahu is facing a lot of pressure, from families to come to an agreement on a hostage deal, and he also is facing pressure from his right to continue forward with this mission to eliminate Hamas as much as possible. Biden is seeing huge protests on campuses across the country as graduations ramp up, but also as the election season is really starting to heat up and Biden is hearing it from the right that he’s growing wobbly in his support for Israel.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jerusalem, Israel – 18 February 2024
8. STILL of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking during gathering
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tel Aviv, Israel – 24 December 2023
9. STILL of Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu chairing a cabinet meeting
ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York – 29 April 2024
10. STILL of protestors waving Palestine flag at Columbia University
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington – 2 May 2024
11. STILL of President Joe Biden speaking at White House
STORYLINE:
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has confirmed the U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns the country was approaching a decision to launch a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Confirmed Wednesday, the shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, with the focus of U.S. concern being the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban setting.
Associated Press reporter Aamer Madhani says this decision comes as Israel ramps up its operation in Rafah.
“Israel has pushed forward with a plan to strike Rafah, even though the Biden administration says that it is too risky and would cost too many innocent Palestinian lives and worsen the incredible despair that’s already going on in the territory if they would move forward with this operation in a really tightly packed, dense urban area,” Madhani said.
The decision by President Biden also comes at a delicate time for both President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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