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Former President Donald Trump is accusing President Biden of siding with Hamas terrorists by pausing the delivery of bombs to Israel.
Mr. Trump said delaying weapons shipments, which Mr. Biden did to pressure Israel not to invade Rafah in southern Gaza, was a win for the Hamas terrorists who attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
“Hamas murdered thousands of innocent civilians, including babies, and are still holding American hostages, if the hostages are still alive,” Mr. Trump said on Truth Social. “Yet Crooked Joe Biden is taking the side of these terrorists, just like he sided with the Radical Mobs taking over our college campuses because his donors are funding them.”
“Biden is weak, corrupt, and leading the world straight into World War III,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week against launching an offensive of Rafah, where Hamas is thought to be hunkered down following the attacks on northern Gaza.
It underscored the growing divide between Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu.
The Biden administration has aired concerns that a military operation there could escalate tensions in the Middle East and lead to more bloodshed.
Mr. Netanyahu and his supporters have said they are focused on returning the hostages and wiping out Hamas.
Mr. Biden said in a CNN interview that aired Wednesday that he has increased pressure on Israel to rethink their next move. Mr. Biden said he “made it clear” that if Israel goes into Rafah, “I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with the problem.”
Mr. Biden, who insists his support for Israel remains “ironclad,” said the 2,000-pound bombs that he stopped delivery on have led to the death of civilians in Gaza.
The U.S. has not stopped sending other weapons to Israel, and a final decision on the 3,500 bombs remains up in the air.
Mr. Biden faces stiff blowback from the far-left, pro-Palestinian wing of his Democratic Party, which is staging protests nationwide to condemn U.S. support for Israel.
Mr. Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, has signaled he supports Israel’s decision to settle the matter how it sees fit. Last week, he cast doubt over the Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks, saying Hamas cannot be trusted to return the hostages, who he said are likely dead.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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