High-level US-Israel meeting 'canceled,' per source, as WH official says details not 'fully finalized'

A high-level meeting planned between U.S. and Israeli officials regarding Iran's nuclear program was canceled after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized a lack of U.S. military aid, a source told Fox News, while a White House official pushed back on the claim.

Senior officials had planned to meet Thursday following new revelations about Iran's nuclear program. Hours after news of the meeting got out, Netanyahu went public with a pre-recorded video, in English, calling a recent lack of U.S. military support for Israel "inconceivable."

The meeting was canceled after Netanyahu's comments, a senior official told Fox News. The official said a scheduled U.S. visit by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant next week is proceeding as planned, as are other meetings about aid distribution and coordination.

Meantime, a White House official said plans for the meeting were still moving forward, but have yet to be "fully finalized."

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Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, argued that Netanyahu's video was a peek behind the curtain at the Biden administration's policies.

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"What’s becoming clear is that the White House has misled Congress and the American people as to the extent of the withholding of key munitions that Israel needs to defend itself. It’s not just about 2,000-pound bombs, it’s about the precision guided conversion kits," he told Fox News Digital.

"The president is effectively allying with Iran to squeeze Israel inside Tehran’s ring of fire," he added, referring to the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups.

The Thursday meeting would have pertained to information about a computer modeling program Iran has acquired that could be used to assist in developing nuclear weapons. Iran's intentions behind the program remain unclear, with officials reportedly split on whether it is innocuous or represents further nuclear ambition from the regime.

Referring to reports of the canceled meeting, a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office declined to elaborate but emphasized that Israel and the U.S. have "ongoing discussions at every single level with US officials," and that "those are very important to us."

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Some Israeli officials were already en route to the U.S. when they were informed the meeting was off, Axios reported Wednesday.

Netanyahu's video referenced a conversation he had with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his trip to Israel last week. He said he had expressed his "deep appreciation" for U.S. support but tacked on a heavy criticism as well.

"I also said something else, I said it's inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel," Netanyahu said.

Fox News' Caroline McKee contributed to this report.

Military ammunition depot explosion in Chad kills 9 people, wounds 46

Nine people were killed and more than 40 injured when a fire set off explosions at a military ammunition depot in Chad’s capital, an official said Wednesday.

Government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah said 46 people were being treated for various injuries after the explosions jolted residents from their sleep late Tuesday in the Goudji district of the capital, N’Djamena. The situation has been brought under control, Koulamallah said.

The explosions lit up the sky as thick smoke covered the clouds in the West African nation, setting off frantic efforts to extinguish the fire as residents fled their homes for safety.

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The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, and President Mahamat Deby Itno said an investigation would be conducted.

"Peace to the souls of the victims, sincere condolences to the bereaved families and quick recovery to the injured," Deby said on Facebook. He later visited the scene of the accident as well as hospitals where the injured were being treated.

People living in the area panicked, thinking the explosion was an armed attack, resident Oumar Mahamat said.

Local media reported the blasts started just before midnight as nearby buildings shook and ammunition was thrown from the depot with explosive force.

Authorities called on residents to stay out of the area, which was taken over by security forces gathering the scattered artillery shells.

Allamine Moussa, a resident, called on the government to "come to our aid urgently" after he and other residents fled their homes.

"Many families have recorded deaths and it’s sad," Moussa said.

Chad, a country of nearly 18 million people, has been reeling from political turmoil before and after a controversial presidential election that resulted in Deby Itno’s victory. He had led the country as interim president during the period of military rule that followed the death of his father in 2021.

Cameron Hudson, an Africa expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the explosions might not be entirely coincidental and "feels more like a message" to the government, which has been embroiled in internal political tensions and as well as regional tensions over the war in neighboring Sudan.

Recent claims about Chad's alleged involvement in the war in Sudan create an untenable position at home for Deby Itno, said Hudson, a former U.S. official. "A house divided cannot stand."