Washington, May 18 : The US House of Representatives has voted in favour of a bill aimed at forcing President Joe Biden to resume arms deliveries to Israel which had been paused.

The text was passed on Thursday with 208 Republican votes and 16 votes from Biden's Democrats, but is likely to fail in the Senate, where the president's party has the upper hand.

Biden had previously announced that he would veto the bill should it pass Congress. The text calls on his administration to swiftly implement all arms transfers to Israel that have already been authorised by Congress.

The US is currently withholding a delivery of ammunition due to Israel's actions in the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip.

The White House has repeatedly made it clear that it rejects a major offensive by the Israeli army in the city, which is overcrowded with internally displaced people from other parts of the Gaza Strip.

Last week, Biden threatened Israel that a major ground offensive could have consequences for US arms supplies. Subsequently, senior administration officials tried to appease Israel and made it clear that the US was behind Israel and that it was only about this one delivery.

At the same time, there were reports of a new arms delivery to Israel.