New rifts emerge between close allies

WASHINGTON — New tensions emerged this past week between US President Joe Biden's administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Israeli leader's criticism of US weapons deliveries, comments the White House described on Thursday as "vexing" and "disappointing".

The issue began when Netanyahu claimed in a video posted on social media earlier this week that the United States, Israel's main military backer, has been "withholding weapons and ammunition" from his country in recent months.

"Those comments were deeply disappointing and certainly vexing to us, given the amount of support that we have and will continue to provide," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists.

"No other country is doing more to help Israel."

The previous day, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that "we genuinely do not know what he's talking about".

With the exception of "one particular shipment of munitions", Jean-Pierre said: "There are no other pauses. None."

She was referring to a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs that Washington has said is under review because of concerns about their use in densely populated areas.

The spat is not the first between Netanyahu and Biden's administration since the start of the Gaza conflict.

Biden previously stated his strong opposition to a major Israeli operation in Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than a million civilians were located, and threatened to stop certain arms deliveries if his warning was not heeded.

Wider effects

Meanwhile, Israel and Hezbollah traded fresh cross-border fire, as fears of a regional conflict grew after Israel revealed it had approved plans for a Lebanon offensive and the Iran-backed militants vowed to blanket their foe in rockets.

Hezbollah said it fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel on Thursday in retaliation for a deadly airstrike in southern Lebanon that Israel said killed one of the group's operatives. Hezbollah also claimed several other attacks on Israeli troops and positions over the course of the day.

On the diplomatic front, Armenia has recognized the State of Palestine, according to its Foreign Ministry on Friday.

Armenia supports a United Nations resolution on an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and is in favor of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the same statement said.

Agencies Via Xinhua