US unveils results of Israel war crimes probe
Washington has “reasonable” concerns that West Jerusalem may have violated humanitarian law by using US weapons
The US State Department issued a report criticizing the way Israel has conducted its war against Hamas in Gaza, but stopped short of publicly accusing West Jerusalem of any specific violations that would require Washington to halt the flow of weapons to its ally.
The IDF and its methods have faced increasing scrutiny as the Israeli military operation in the densely populated Gaza Strip continues into its eighth month, resulting in the deaths of nearly 35,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians. In February, President Joe Biden ordered the Pentagon and State Departments to do so “Obtain certain guarantees” Concerning Israel’s use of US military aid and submitting a report to Congress. the summary The results were released to the public on Friday.
The report claimed that “The nature of the conflict in Gaza makes it difficult to evaluate individual incidents or reach definitive conclusions about them,” This is something that Washington has not yet achieved “Complete information to check whether US defense articles” Resulted in the killing of civilians.
“However, given Israel’s heavy reliance on US-made defense materials, it is reasonable to assess that these defense materials… have been used by Israeli security forces since October 7 in situations inconsistent with international humanitarian law. [international human law] Commitments or established best practices to mitigate harm to civilians. The report added.
Moreover, while Israel claimed “Steps taken” To mitigate collateral damage, “The results on the ground, including the high levels of civilian casualties, raise fundamental questions about whether the IDF is using them effectively in all cases.” Reads the summary.
Biden acknowledged earlier this week that at least some Palestinian civilians in Gaza were killed by US-made bombs, and pledged to stop supplying any weapons that could be used by Israel in a major military operation in the southern city of Rafah.
Israel declared war on Hamas in Gaza following the armed group’s deadly incursion on October 7, which claimed more than 1,200 lives, while hundreds of Israelis were taken hostage.
Although Israeli army tanks already moved into Rafah on Monday, with Israeli forces securing parts of the city, Biden believes Israel will do so. “Limited” The operation has not yet crossed the red line set by Washington.
The Israeli war cabinet agreed on Friday “measured expansion” After the ground operation in Rafah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised that West Jerusalem would continue its military campaign “We will fight with our nails” If the United States stops supplying weapons.
