Biden Administration Deems It Valid to Evaluate If Israel Used U.S. Weapons Against International Law in Gaza
TL/DR –
The Biden administration has stated that it is likely US weapons have been used by Israeli forces in Gaza in ways inconsistent with international humanitarian law. However, it stopped short of officially decrying that Israel violated this law. A State Department report on the matter concluded that while there were concerns over the high civilian death toll and restrictions on humanitarian aid, they did not find that Israel intentionally restricted aid or that the Israeli government is in violation of US law.
CNN Report Suggests US Weapons Used by Israeli Forces in Gaza
The Biden administration stated Friday it’s plausible that Israeli forces used US weapons in ways inconsistent with international humanitarian law in Gaza. However, they refrained from citing any formal violation of legislation.
According to the report, investigations are ongoing into potential violations. It was noted that complete information was lacking to verify whether US weapons were indeed used in alleged violations of international law.
The report covers the period from war with Hamas outbreak on October 7 to late April and found no evidence of Israel withholding humanitarian aid to Gaza in violation of US law. In fact, it criticizes the impact of Israel’s military campaign, marking a dramatic time in US-Israeli relations.
Despite no mandated actions for the Israeli government, the report’s release was followed by President Biden publicly stating his intent to limit weapon transfers to Israel if they proceed with a significant offensive in Rafah.
The report was sent to Capitol Hill after being declassified. It stemmed from Biden’s response to Democratic lawmakers under a February national security memorandum, marking the first US government assessment of Israel’s actions in the Hamas war in Gaza that left over 34,000 dead.
Democratic senators voiced disappointment in the report, describing it as a diplomatic dodge, and expressed frustration over the administration’s reluctance to hold the Israeli government accountable.
Per a senior State Department official, the report was reflective and processes are undergoing to evaluate ongoing actions. However, no deadline was given for any conclusion to be made under these processes.
The report highlighted sufficient incidents to raise serious concerns. Despite Israel’s knowledge, experience, and tools to mitigate civilian harm, the high civilian casualty levels raised questions about their effective use.
Furthermore, the report stated that the US government has urged Israel to lower the civilian death toll and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. It was noted that while some progress had been made in these areas, more needed to be done, especially considering the recent decrease of humanitarian aid access due to limited Israeli military operations in Rafah.
Human rights organizations questioned the validity of the report’s findings, with Amnesty International indicating that US weapons supplied to Israel have likely violated international law. They criticized the administration’s reluctance to take any meaningful action to prevent further loss of lives.
Humanitarian aid organizations also expressed confusion and disappointment over the Biden administration’s report to Congress, particularly its declaration that Israel is not impeding the provision of aid to Gaza.
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