From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
State Department to miss deadline for report to Congress on Israeli weapons use
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says his office will not be able to meet today’s deadline for submitting a report to Congress determining whether the Biden administration has accepted assurances from Israel that it is using American weapons in accordance with international law.
Miller says the report will be submitted “in the coming days.”
Miller also joins the line of Biden officials confirming the decision to hold a shipment of bombs for Israel due to concerns regarding Rafah, and adds that other transfers are being reviewed.
Last night, a senior Biden administration official confirmed a report that the US had also delayed a sale of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) to Israel, but clarified that this transaction was in a much earlier stage than the shipment of heavy bombs it held up last week.
