OAN’s Sophia Flores
4:35 PM – Friday, May 10, 2024
The Biden administration released a report concluding that it is highly likely that Israel violated international humanitarian law in Gaza by using weapons that the United States provided.
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The report, which was drafted by the State Department, was released on Friday.
It noted that while an investigation into the potential violations is currently ongoing, the U.S. does “not have complete information to verify” whether U.S. weapons “were specifically used” in alleged violations of international humanitarian law.
“Given the nature of the conflict in Gaza, with Hamas seeking to hide behind civilian populations and infrastructure and expose them to Israeli military action, as well as the lack of USG personnel on the ground in Gaza, it is difficult to assess or reach conclusive findings on individual incidents. Nevertheless, given Israel’s significant reliance on U.S.-made defense articles, it is reasonable to assess that defense articles covered under NSM-20 have been used by Israeli security forces since October 7 in instances inconsistent with its IHL obligations or with established best practices for mitigating civilian harm,” the report said.
The report carefully refrains from accusing Israel of violating any terms of the memorandum, but it still strongly criticizes the actions of the Jewish State.
“In any conflict involving foreign partners, it is often difficult to make swift, definitive assessments or determinations on whether specific U.S. defense articles or services have been used in a manner not consistent with international law.”
“However, there have been sufficient reported incidents to raise serious concerns,” the report continued
“While Israel has the knowledge, experience, and tools to implement best practices for mitigating civilian harm in its military operations, the results on the ground, including high levels of civilian casualties, raise substantial questions as to whether the IDF is using them effectively in all cases,” the report stated.
Israel maintains that international humanitarian law has not been broken, and IDF officials blame the high fatality count in Gaza on Hamas. It is well known that the terrorist organization operates in regions with high densities of civilians, as well as sheltering in underground tunnels underneath hospitals and schools.
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