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WORLD NEWS Monday 24 June 2024
Netanyahu again claims the U.S. is withholding arms shipments,

days after Washington denies it

By TIA GOLDENBERG to Netanyahu’s comments. crats to take a tougher line
Associated Press The official, who requested against Israel, and he has
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli anonymity to discuss a dip- sharpened his warnings to
Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- lomatic issue, said U.S. offi- Netanyahu over military
tanyahu told his Cabinet cials were looking forward tactics in the Gaza Strip.
on Sunday that there had to “constructive consulta- But after threatening to
been a “dramatic drop” in tions” this week in Wash- impose a more sweeping
U.S. weapons deliveries for ington with Israel’s visiting ban on arms transfers over
Israel’s war effort in Gaza, defense minister, Yoav Gal- an assault on Rafah, the
doubling down on a claim lant. administration has avoid-
that the Biden administra- Gallant, a rival of Netan- ed any suggestion that Is-
tion has denied and under- People attend a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin yahu’s inside the ruling Li- rael’s expanding push into
scoring the growing strains Netanyahu’s government and demanding elections, in Tel Aviv, kud party, was traveling to the southern Gaza city has
between the two allies. Israel, Saturday, June 22, 2024. Washington on Sunday. His crossed a red line.
Netanyahu told his Cabi- Associated Press office said he would discuss During an election year,
net that the drop had oc- “maintaining Israel’s quali- Biden is also facing critics
curred four months ago, istration fought back last Netanyahu’s video last tative edge in the region” on the right who say he has
without specifying which week against Netanyahu’s week sparked an uproar but made no mention of moderated his support for
weapons, saying only that charges that other ship- among critics in Israel and the weapons issue. an essential Mideast ally.
“certain items arrived spo- ments had also been af- was met with denial and The war in Gaza, which was For Netanyahu, the grow-
radically but the munitions fected. confusion from White House sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 ing daylight with the U.S.
at large remained behind.” Netanyahu told the Cabi- officials. White House na- attack on southern Israel, also poses political risks and
The spat highlights how high net that he was driven to tional security spokesman has tested the U.S.-Israel re- opportunities. His critics see
tensions have surged be- release a video in English John Kirby said the U.S. was lationship like never before. the public spats as the re-
tween Israel and Washing- last week after weeks of un- “perplexed” by Netanya- While the U.S. has staunchly sult of a leader prepared to
ton over the war in Gaza, successful pleas with Amer- hu’s claims. White House supported Israel’s aims of wreck important alliances
particularly surrounding the ican officials to speed up press secretary Karine freeing hostages taken and tarnish Israel’s image in
Israeli military’s conduct deliveries. He said a resolu- Jean-Pierre said, “We gen- into Gaza and defeating the world for political gain.
in the beleaguered terri- tion appeared close. uinely do not know what Hamas, it has grown in- But the rift grants the long-
tory and the harm to civil- “In light of what I have he’s talking about.” creasingly concerned over serving leader a chance to
ian life there. President Joe heard over the past day, I A White House official on the rising Palestinian death show his base that he isn’t
Biden has delayed deliver- hope and believe that this Sunday said the administra- toll and the humanitarian beholden to the U.S. and
ing certain heavy bombs matter will be solved soon,” tion has repeatedly stated crisis created by the war. that he is putting Israel’s in-
since May over those he said, without elaborat- its position on the matter, Biden has felt pressure terests first.q
concerns, but his admin- ing. and declined to respond from progressive Demo-

Yemen’s Houthi rebels target ship in the Gulf of Aden as the

Eisenhower aircraft carrier heads home

By JON GAMBRELL a twice-extended tour. However, many of the ships
Associated Press The captain of the ship tar- attacked have little or no
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- geted late Friday saw “ex- connection to the Israel-
ates (AP) — An attack by plosions in the vicinity of the Hamas war.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels tar- vessel,” the British military’s The Eisenhower, based in
geted a commercial ship United Kingdom Maritime Norfolk, Virginia, is returning
traveling through the Gulf Trade Operations center home after an over eight-
of Aden but apparently said. A later briefing by the month deployment in com-
caused no damage, au- U.S.-overseen Joint Mari- bat that the Navy says is its
thorities said Saturday, in time Information Center most intense since World
the latest strike on the ship- said the vessel initially re- The USS aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, also known as War II. The San Diego-based
ping lane by the group. ported two explosions off ‘IKE’, sails in the Red Sea on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. USS Theodore Roosevelt
The Houthi attack comes its port side and a third one Associated Press will take the Eisenhower’s
after the sinking this week later. place after a scheduled
of the ship Tutor, which “The vessel was not hit and The U.S. military separate- targeted the Houthis since exercise in the Indo-Pacific,
marked what appears to sustained no damage,” the ly destroyed three drone January, with a series of said Pentagon press secre-
be a new escalation by center said. “The vessel and boats in the Red Sea over strikes May 30 killing at least tary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
the Iranian-backed Houthis crew are reported to be the last day, Central Com- 16 people and wounding The Roosevelt anchored
in their campaign of strikes safe and are proceeding mand said. 42 others, the rebels say. Saturday in Busan, South
on ships in the vital mari- to their next port of call.” The Houthis have launched In March, the Belize- Korea, amid Seoul’s ongo-
time corridor over the Isra- The Houthis, who have held more than 60 attacks tar- flagged Rubymar carrying ing tensions with North Ko-
el-Hamas war in the Gaza Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, geting specific vessels and fertilizer became the first rea.
Strip. since 2014, claimed the at- fired off other missiles and to sink in the Red Sea after The Eisenhower had al-
Meanwhile, the U.S. military tack Saturday night. Brig. drones in their campaign taking on water for days ready reached the Medi-
ordered the USS Dwight D. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi that has killed a total of four following a rebel attack. terranean Sea, said a U.S.
Eisenhower, the aircraft military spokesman, identi- sailors. They have seized The Houthis have main- official, who spoke on con-
carrier leading America’s fied the vessel targeted as one vessel and sunk two tained that their attacks dition of anonymity to dis-
response to the Houthi at- the bulk carrier Transworld since November. A U.S.- target ships linked to Israel, cuss ship movements.q
tacks, to return home after Navigator. led airstrike campaign has the United States or Britain.