Following the expected implementation of the hostage deal Sunday morning, the Biden administration has begun partially easing the arms embargo on Israel, most notably, the 70 D9 bulldozers, ordered and paid for by Israel ten months ago, which are expected to be loaded onto cargo ships in the near future, Israel Hayom reported.
Israeli security sources have indicated that had these bulldozers been available during the war, they could have significantly reduced the number of soldiers injured by IEDs. The D9 deal, signed approximately ten months ago, was initially meant to provide the IDF with 130 bulldozers for operations in the Gaza Strip, but its delivery was delayed due to the US arms embargo.
The same security officials stressed the operational importance of bulldozers in the fighting in the Gaza Strip. According to them, these heavy engineering vehicles are crucial on the battlefield, helping to open traffic routes, pave roads for combat forces, and detect explosive devices. Additionally, the bulldozers are specifically designed to withstand and emerge unscathed from explosions.
רס”ל שרון (שאראס) פרי מנפצת במלחמה עוד תקרת בטון: היא לוחמת ה-D9 הראשונה – שגם נכנסה לעזה ושיטחה בתי מחבלים וחילצה כלי של חבריה שנפצעו מ-RPG.
צה”ל רצה להסלילה כנערה מצטיינת מצפון ת”א ומדריכה בצופים ליחידה טכנולוגית – היא נאבקה להגיע לדובי עם הבוץ.
“החברים הכי טובים שלי הם… pic.twitter.com/StOyAzPM4n— יואב זיתון (@yoavzitun) January 27, 2024
On October 15, 2024, State Dept. Spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States is deeply shocked by the humanitarian situation in Gaza, adding that the Americans have conveyed their “serious concerns” on this matter directly to the Israeli government.
Senior US officials told Reuters at the time that the United States had warned Israel it must take a series of steps in the coming month to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, or risk facing restrictions on American military aid. This marked the most severe warning issued since the start of the war.
The embargo reflected a growing crisis of trust between the White House and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Notably, a warning letter about an embargo from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was directed to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, bypassing Netanyahu.
The letter demanded that Israel take concrete actions within 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. In addition to ensuring regular aid transfers, the US called on Israel to allow the Red Cross to visit terrorist detainees, even though the Red Cross had yet to visit the Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity and to halt Knesset legislation that would prevent UNRWA from operating in Israel.
UNRWA has since been ousted from most of the area from the Jordan to the Sea.
The deeper implication of the Blinken-Austin letter was that if Israel failed to address the humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza within 30 days, it could face a severe arms shortage, as the US continued to delay shipments of heavy bombs and bulldozers. Non-compliance with these demands jeopardized continued military aid, which required approval from both Blinken and Austin.
