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The Biden administration said Friday it was “reasonable to assess” that U.S. weapons were used by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip in a manner “inconsistent” with international humanitarian law, but that Israel had violated the law. It was not possible to make an official statement.
The report prepared by the State Department said that an investigation into possible violations was ongoing, but that the United States would not “verify” whether U.S. weapons were “specifically used” in suspected violations of international humanitarian law. “We don’t have complete information to do so.”
“Given the nature of the conflict in Gaza, including Hamas’s attempts to hide behind civilians and infrastructure and expose it to Israeli military action, and the lack of U.S. personnel on the ground, “It is difficult to reach conclusions regarding individual cases.” Nevertheless, given Israel’s heavy reliance on US-made defense articles, defense articles covered by NSM-20 have been subject to IHL obligations or It is reasonable to assess that it is being used when it is inconsistent with established best practices for mitigation. caused harm to civilians,” the report said.
The report, which covers the period from the outbreak of war with Hamas on October 7 to late April, does not find that Israel withheld humanitarian aid from Gaza in violation of U.S. law.
The report says Israel has not violated any of the terms of the memorandum, but harshly criticizes the costs of Israeli military operations. The report’s findings come in another tough moment for U.S.-Israel relations in the same week that President Joe Biden threatened to limit arms transfers if Israel carries out a major attack in Rafah. It shows that
Still, the eventual finding that Israel’s assurances made under the National Security Memorandum are “credible and reliable” could draw scrutiny from some lawmakers and human rights and humanitarian groups.
“In any conflict involving a foreign partner, a prompt and final assessment and determination of whether certain U.S. defense articles or military services are being used in a manner inconsistent with international law cannot be made,” the report said. “It is often difficult.”
“However, there have been enough incidents reported to raise serious concerns,” the ministry said.
“Israel has the knowledge, experience, and tools to implement best practices to reduce harm to civilians in military operations, but the results on the ground, including high levels of civilian casualties, are “All cases raise significant questions about whether the Israel Defense Forces are effectively utilizing them in military operations,” the report states.
The high-stakes report was delivered to Parliament House on Friday afternoon. The administration was required to make decisions on the two issues under a national security memorandum issued by Biden in February under pressure from Democratic lawmakers. The U.S. government has criticized Israel’s actions in the seven-month war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which began with the terrorist group’s brutal attack on October 7 that left more than 34,000 people dead and many civilians killed. It was the first time I had to make an evaluation. Coastal enclaves were destroyed.
A senior State Department official said the report was a useful tool for the Biden administration to visit the Israeli government to obtain information and advocate for changes in behavior. The official said the report would be shared with the Israeli government.
This story has been interrupted and will be updated.
