After Hochstein visits 'Israel', Hanegbi, Dermer arrive in Washington
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Talks are underway between Washington and Tel Aviv on the ongoing war on the Strip, and battles in the North.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, then-Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, left, and then-Cabinet Secretary Tzahi Braverman attend the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in occupied al-Quds, "Israel", on December 29, 2019. (AP)
The critical consultations between "Israel" and the United States concerning the war on Gaza and the Lebanese front are ongoing. A day after the visit of the US envoy Amos Hochstein to "Israel", National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and Minister Ron Dermer arrived in Washington on Tuesday for further discussions.
The two are scheduled to hold a series of meetings at the White House and will meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and other senior officials in the Biden administration. Moreover, the Israeli Security Minister Yoav Galant is set to attend meetings at the Pentagon next week.
On Monday, the German Bild newspaper reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently contacted Blinken to request additional weapons, despite the United States halting shipments at the beginning of May following the attacks on Rafah.
According to Bild, Netanyahu detailed in his remarks that the cessation of shipments undermined Israeli deterrence, and warned that the lack of military support from the United States would encourage Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas to retaliate - which would escalate the war.
It should be noted that on May 8, American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced during a congressional hearing that the United States had halted arms shipments to "Israel" due to the events in Rafah.
He argued, "We are reprocessing weapons shipments that were destined to go to Israel in the near future, and this is in the context of the events in Rafah. We have not made any final decisions - we have put the shipments on hold."
That said, after "Israel" committed a massacre in Rafah, burning innocent Palestinians alive, the United States didn't act in line with its previous statements, and the US didn't stop the massacre or its support for the Israeli occupation. The US continues to aid the occupation with US weapons, which are still used in the slaughter of Palestinians.
