Extra Time: U.S. pauses bomb shipments to Israel; shining light on mental health

NEW YORK (WABC) -- In this edition of Eyewitness News Extra Time, we take a look at the pause on ammunition deployments to Israel and we're shining a light on Mental Health Awareness Month.

The Biden administration has halted a shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel after raising concerns that the bombs could be used to further escalate the war in Gaza. President Joe Biden is worried that the bombs could be used to unload on Rafah, which is the last Hamas stronghold.

Right now, 1.3 million Palestinians have been crammed into the south of Gaza.

ABC's Perry Russom joined the show with more details.

Here are the other headlines from Wednesday's show:

Antisemitism in NYC schools

New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks was grilled on Capitol Hill about the rise in antisemitic incidents. Banks defended himself against House Republicans who accuse him and other education leaders across the U.S. of fostering atmospheres of hate.

Among the incidents mentioned, a chaotic student protest in Queens against a Jewish teacher who express support for Israel after October 7.

Eyewitness News reporter Lauren Glassberg has details on Banks' testimony amid a barrage of congressional criticism.

Mental Health Awareness Month

May kicked off Mental Health Awareness Month and in addition to knocking down the stigma of publicly discussing mental wellness, it is also important to know the signs, when to seek a diagnosis and find a path toward treatment.

Bill Smith, founder and CEO of Inseparable, joined Eyewitness News to talk about his work in making mental health care more easily accessible.

You can watch 'Eyewitness News Extra Time' live Monday-Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7NY.com or our ABC7NY app on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV and Android TV.