Israel has seen arms embargoes before
But this time it will struggle without American military support
On may 8th President Joe Biden confirmed that his administration would withhold shipments of certain kinds of bombs if Israel extends its invasion of Rafah, Hamas’s last main stronghold in Gaza, where over a million civilians have taken shelter.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A familiar problem”
From the May 18th 2024 edition
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Hamas talks a big game but is in chaos
Look beyond the latest bravado and brutality and it is bitterly split
Iran’s alarming nuclear dash will soon test Donald Trump
There is no plausible civilian use for the enhanced uranium Iran is producing
Syria’s new rulers say they are keen to integrate foreign fighters
Outsiders continue to see them as a threat
Rwanda’s reckless plan to redraw the map of Africa
The fall of Goma could trigger another Congo conflict
Three big lawsuits against Meta in Kenya may have global implications
One was prompted by the murder of an Ethiopian professor
Trump should try to end, not manage, the Middle East’s oldest conflicts
And he should see the region as more than a source of instability and arms deals