Mcconnell harshly criticised biden as bending under the heat of domestic political pressure from his partys anti israel base. Republican senator Lindsay Graham has called the decision to halt arms � absurd. This is all about President Biden and trying to take over the war from israel. Ive got one message for israel. Ive got one message for israel. Dont let them do it. Many democratic lawmakers have come out in support of biden� s decision to halt certain munitions to israel. Heres what democratic senator and biden ally chris coons told the bbc. Of course, israel has the right but the obligation to go after hamas and Finish Thejob and the obligation to go after hamas and finish the job and restore a sense of security to the israeli people after the horrific attack of october seven. But since there are a million refugees in gaza who have moved to the north, to the centre and the south and are trapped up against the hard border with egypt and egypt is not allowing any of them in, before going in at scale to attack the remaining hamas battalions, we are calling them to provide a pathway out. President biden� s remarks prompted strong responses from israeli officials. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press ahead with military operations in gaza, saying in a statement if we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. For more on israels reaction, our security correspondent Frank Gardner sent this update from jerusalem. Israel is released stunned by this because thats his 1982 is the us withheld weapons from its allies, close as i lay in the middle east and theres talk of betrayal and one for rent minister in the cabinet, he tweeted on Social Media Platforms and there is a theory going on around here that the us threatening to withhold Military Support for israel at this time going into the area is bludgeoning and strengthening hamas and israel needs to wring concessions out of hamas to get the hostages out. But the peace talks, the Cease Fire Talks have ground to a halt yet again and both delegations have left and the israelis and hamas and the fundamentals are still in place, there is still agreement in the sense that theres talk of the limited period of calm, four to two daysin limited period of calm, four to two days in exchange for captives of Palestinian Prisoners and israeli jails. And its sticky part remains how this conflict ends. Israels military says it already has enough weapons for its mission in rafah, and on thursday its army continued heavy shelling of the area. Palestinians are still evacuating, with a un agency saying 80,000 people have fled so far. For more on the situation, lets bring in former diplomat and president of the middle east policy council, Gina Abercrombie winstanley. Israels ambassador to the un said the country was Very Disappointed by mr biden� s intervention. How significant of a rupture if this between the israelis and the us . Saying that they are abandoning israel and helping hamas . Unfortunately, i believe those are politically motivated statements because the president has been very clear that he is standing with israel with regard to its defensive capabilities to continue to provide whatever is needed for iron dome and to prevent attacks from outside. But were talking about gaza and thats very different, the bombs being used against civilians. In very different, the bombs being used against civilians. Against civilians. In order to defend itself, against civilians. In order to defend itself, it against civilians. In order to defend itself, it has against civilians. In order to defend itself, it has to against civilians. In order to defend itself, it has to go. Against civilians. In order to l defend itself, it has to go and offensively and to defeat these remaining hamas battalions that the Israeli Forces say they have identified there. Israeli forces say they have identified there. ,. , identified there. The president has been very clear identified there. The president has been very clear that identified there. The president has been very clear that they identified there. The president has been very clear that they have been very clear that they have to have a plan for the safety and security of civilians. America has been very supportive of israel being able to defend itself and there have been those who have said from the beginning that this overwhelming attack in these extraordinary numbers of civilian casualties works against israeli security. We numbers of civilian casualties works against israeli security. Against israeli security. We have for some very against israeli security. We have for some Very Disappointed against israeli security. We have l for some Very Disappointed voices from israel and how big of a rupture do you think this is right now between israel and the us . I do you think this is right now between israel and the us . I know it is a shock for between israel and the us . I know it is a shock for israelis between israel and the us . I know it is a shock for israelis to between israel and the us . I know it is a shock for israelis to really is a shock for israelis to really have their leadership be called up on the carpet, as it were. The president has been clear in the Secretary Of State and defence members of congress, this is not been a sudden change, the warnings have been put out in the position of the American Leadership and people have been very clear to get us through this point and it certainly can be refers to the change in policy and action from the Israeli Government. If policy and action from the Israeli Government government. If you listen to the department. Government. If you listen to the department, the government. If you listen to the department, the white government. If you listen to the department, the white house i government. If you listen to the department, the white house today, the indicated an assessment of a possible Ground Operation and rafah will be catastrophic. Netanyhau is vowing to press ahead and said we will fight with our fingernails if necessary. What do you make of that . It is hard to say how much of what the Prime Minister is saying because he actually intends to do it full force were to placate his Coalition Thatis Force were to placate his coalition that is to the right. He has been balancing for 17 years, he has made american president s uncomfortable for 17 years and resisting and pushing back, disagreeing, disrespecting from time to time as we saw during the obama administration, but then hes got away with those costs are the american supported diplomatic cover staunch friendship that is been with israel from its beginning is something that he cannot afford to lose nor does he believe Israeli Citizens want him to lose that end, hes got consultations to make. For securin hes got consultations to make. For securing the cease fire, negotiators appear to indicate that the process continues to be stalled. It certainly has exacerbated the problems and also what are Mosque Calculations . And one of the reasons why Benjamin Netanyahu went into rafah was to add additional pressure on hamas and unfortunately, hamas is proven repeatedly over these months that the deaths of palestinians in gazais that the deaths of palestinians in gaza is not something that is going to persuade them to change or they are doing and we also have to keep in mind the hostages in the Israeli Attack is also putting them in danger. Attack is also putting them in dancer. � ,. , attack is also putting them in dancer. �. , danger. Always get their view on bbc news and thank danger. Always get their view on bbc news and thank you danger. Always get their view on bbc news and thank you so danger. Always get their view on bbc news and thank you so much for danger. Always get their view on bbc news and thank you so much for us l news and thank you so much for us today. Problems continue to mount for us Aerospace Company boeing after another string of safety incidents. On thursday morning, a boeing 737 300 Passenger Aircraft crashed during take off in senegal. 11 people were injured, four severely, when the plane ran off a runway and caught fire. The flight was taking off from the senegalese capital to the capital of mali. Separately, two investigations involving Boeing Planes are under way in turkey. Also on thursday, nearly 200 passengers were evacuated from a boeing 737 800 after one of its tires burst on landing. It comes just a day after a Fedex Airlines boeing 767 cargo plane landed at Istanbul Airport without its front landing gear. This all comes as a boeing Whistle Blower tells the bbc he found up to 200 defects on plane parts being readied for shipping to boeing. Santiago paredes is a former quality inspector at boeings largest supplier, Spirit Aerosystems. He says he was pressured to conduct less rigorous inspections, and that boeing prioritised profits over passenger safety. The whole time we were there, boeing knowingly knew that spirit was sending fuselages with many defects many of them bad. They knew that, they were aware of it. And spirit was wrong for sending defective fuselages, but at the same time, boeing was also wrong for accepting them. In a statement, spirits spokesman said spirit strongly disagrees with the allegations made by mr paredes. Boeing itself declined to comment, although sources within the company say it is working hard to help spirit address quality issues. It is also in talks about taking full control of its supplier. For the latest on the investigations into boeing, i sat down with the us secretary of transportation, pete buttigieg. I also asked him about baltimores Recovery Efforts after the Francis Scott key bridge collapse, Global Supply chains, and other transportation issues affecting the us and the world. Thank you forjoining us in our studio today. I want to start with some bbc reporting we spoke to a Whistle Blower word for Spirit Aerosystems in kansas. And he said he often found up to 200 defects on parts being ready for shipping to boeing and spirit says it strongly denies his allegations but he told us that i was finding a lot of missing fasteners, a lot of bent parts and sometimes even missing parts. You confident that boeing is meeting its commitments to safety that your apartment sets . The meeting its commitments to safety that your apartment sets . Meeting its commitments to safety that your apartment sets . The fm is investigating that your apartment sets . The fm is investigating this that your apartment sets . The fm is investigating this right that your apartment sets . The fm is investigating this right now that your apartment sets . The fm is investigating this right now because l investigating this right now because we care about concerns like that, they have to be taken extremely seriously because the context for this is we have already been in the process of putting a boeing under a microscope ever since the january incident of the Alaska AirlinesFlight Company to demonstrate that their meeting the quality standards and Safety Standards that the faa and Safety Standards that the faa and set forward and that is why we are taking the extraordinary step of restricting their ability to increase production until they demonstrate that they can do that safely and the Safety Record is an extraordinary thing and you cannot actually take it for granted in maintaining that heightened level of scrutiny that is exactly what is going on with boeing right now. There are plans in the meantime stop you live a plan is not safe, it cannot fly. Without the 737 maxis until it was inspected. Until it was inspected. Following the incident, until it was inspected. Following the incident, that until it was inspected. Following the incident, that is until it was inspected. Following the incident, that is always until it was inspected. Following | the incident, that is always going to be true. They hold these aircraft to be true. They hold these aircraft to a standard of billion to one or better in terms of probability of something going catastrophically wrong and that is why we had the extra nursing the record that we do right now, it is clear that extraordinary measures are called for in order to safeguard and defend that record. ,. , for in order to safeguard and defend that record that record. Today, there was a boein that record. Today, there was a boeing 737 that record. Today, there was a boeing 737 that that record. Today, there was a boeing 737 that crashed that record. Today, there was a boeing 737 that crashed during | boeing 737 that crashed during take off and injured 11 people and officials in turkey say that i hundred 90 passengers and crew were safely evacuated from a 737 that had a tire burst during the landing, of course, it is a safe mode of transportation, the record is been very strong be understand why people are weary at best on getting on a boeing . Are weary at best on getting on a boein . ,. , boeing . Not ust a safe one, the safest. Nut boeing . Notjust a safe one, the safest. But the boeing . Notjust a safe one, the safest. But the most boeing . Notjust a safe one, the safest. But the most natural boeing . Notjust a safe one, the i safest. But the most natural human thing is when you step into a metal tube is going to fly hundreds of miles an hour through the sky, youre going to have some concerns that everything is been checked to make sure that is a safe experience. That is nothing we can treat as a destination, we achieve safety and never get to go, it has to be continually renewed and refreshed in any time a problem or threat of a problem, whether it is in the design, the process, the maintenance of the operation of a flight, theyre going to look at a very closely. In theyre going to look at a very closel. ,. , You Trust Boeing to take care of this . ,. , �. ,. ,. This . They have put boeing on that ou have this . They have put boeing on that you have to this . They have put boeing on that you have to demonstrate this . They have put boeing on that you have to demonstrate a this . They have put boeing on that you have to demonstrate a and this . They have put boeing on that| you have to demonstrate a and plan to tackle all these quality issues and they have responsibilities to meet our standards. [30 and they have responsibilities to meet our standards. And they have responsibilities to meet our standards. Do you think the will . Meet our standards. Do you think they will . Their meet our standards. Do you think they will . They have meet our standards. Do you think they will . They have to. Meet our standards. Do you think they will . They have to. In they will . They have to. In baltimore, they will . They have to. In baltimore, the they will . They have to. In baltimore, the bridge they will . They have to. In baltimore, the bridge that| they will . They have to. In baltimore, the bridge that collapse, we know the bodies of all six men who died have now been recovered and unified command in baltimore confirmed that they are looking to reopen the channel in the coming days and it is dependent on whether we have to wait and see when that will happen but you think the transport in and out of that port will get back to normal soon . Ideai will get back to normal soon . Ideal and theres will get back to normal soon . Ideal and theres been will get back to normal soon . Ideal and theres been an will get back to normal soon . Ice i and theres been an opening of will get back to normal soon . Iced and theres been an opening of the partial channel is not the same as having everything back open is a very important important especially for vehicles in its the number one port in the us for vehicles coming in and it has such specialised facilities that right now, in the meantime, even as other courts in places like georgia and rhode island temporarily accept the shipments, sometimes its tough to bring them back to the grounds to the Port Of Baltimore for some of the processes that go on there. It is a very important facility and for the workers whose lives have been disrupted by not having that traffic it by the us Corps Of Engineers which is leading that process and removing the channel, they have said very ambitious targets and so far, theyve hit everyone of their targets are fully confident that by the end of may, the left of vessel out of the way in the wreckage of the way and that generated for normal operations. The way and that generated for normal operations. White as the im act normal operations. White as the impact been normal operations. White as the impact been on normal operations. White as the impact been on global normal operations. White as the impact been on Global Shippingl normal operations. White as the i impact been on Global Shipping and chains . ,. ,. ,. , impact been on Global Shipping and chains . ,. ,. , chains . Using new tools to do so, ever since chains . Using new tools to do so, ever since those chains . Using new tools to do so, ever since those major chains . Using new tools to do so, | ever since those major d