The Biden administration acknowledged on Friday that it is “reasonable to assess” that Israel has used U.S. weapons in violation of international law in Gaza. However, they did not provide a conclusive verdict on the matter.
According to the State Department’s report, ongoing investigations are being conducted to determine whether Israel has violated international humanitarian law by using U.S. weapons. However, at this point, there is insufficient evidence to confirm these allegations.
According to a report, it is reasonable to assume that Israeli security forces have used defense articles covered under NSM-20 in a manner inconsistent with its IHL obligations or established best practices for mitigating civilian harm. This assessment is made considering Israel’s heavy reliance on U.S.-made defense articles.
According to the report, it was not found that Israel is obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
According to the report, the sustained engagement between the United States and the Israeli government at the highest levels has played a crucial role in mitigating the severity of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The report spans from the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 to late April. Although it did not find Israel in violation of the terms of the memorandum, it heavily criticized Israel for the high death toll resulting from the Hamas war.
According to the report, the United States faces challenges in obtaining information from Israel. Although Israel has provided some information upon request, additional details are necessary to make a thorough assessment of targeting decisions and battlefield damage.
According to the report, it can be challenging to quickly and definitively determine if specific U.S. defense articles or services have been used in a manner inconsistent with international law in conflicts involving foreign partners. The report acknowledges that there have been enough reported incidents to raise serious concerns.
On Friday afternoon, Congress received the report, which President Biden must review and make a decision on. This requirement stems from a national security memorandum issued by Biden in February, prompted by Congressional Democrats.
It is the first time the United States has had to assess Israel’s conduct since the start of the war in Gaza.
The assessment is still ongoing, according to the State Department.
The department stated that they will actively monitor and address any obstacles that arise in providing assistance to the Palestinian civilians in Gaza in the future.
