The 227kg bombs were intercepted while being transported to Israel and are still being held, an official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The bombs were expected to arrive in Israel in the coming weeks, but the shipment was halted because of Israel’s plans to attack the city of Rafah.
The official said the main concern was the potential use of one-ton bombs in densely populated areas, rather than the 227-kilogram bombs, which is why shipments of the bombs were suspended.
Speaking about the reason for the halting of the shipment, the official said, “Because our concern was not about the 227-kilogram bombs, these are progressing as part of the normal process.” While confirming that the 227-kilogram bombs were sent separately, he emphasized that the 1-ton bombs were still being held.
What Happened?
In the US, the Biden administration announced in May that it had stopped a shipment of one-ton and 227-kilogram bombs to prevent civilian casualties after Israel announced that it would attack the densely populated city of Rafah. It was reported that the shipment contained 1,800 1-ton and 1,700 227-kilogram bombs.