The administration of President Joe Biden has issued a report suggesting that the Israel Defense Forces may have used American-supplied weapons in ways inconsistent with international humanitarian law on multiple occasions. However, due to the absence of American personnel in Gaza, it could not be confirmed whether American weapons were indeed utilized in incidents with high numbers of civilian casualties.
This report comes in response to Biden's National Security Memorandum 20 (NSM-20) issued in February which tasked the federal government with assessing the credibility of Israel's assurances regarding the lawful use of U.S. weapons. (Related: Biden gives ultimatum to Israel: Don't attack Rafah or you'll lose supply of U.S. bombs, artillery shells.)
If it's determined that Israel violated international law with American weapons, Washington would be compelled to suspend all non-defensive military aid to the country.
The much-anticipated report was initially slated for delivery to Congress earlier in the week but was postponed until Friday evening, May 10. It highlights several instances where the actions of the Israeli military raised serious concerns, including airstrikes on aid workers from the international charity World Central Kitchen, the "Flour Massacre" in northern Gaza and attacks on other international aid groups and charities operating in the region.
Despite these documented incidents, the report couldn't definitively establish whether U.S. weapons were involved. Additionally, Israel's failure to provide comprehensive information hindered efforts to verify the use of U.S. defense articles covered under NSM-20 in alleged violations of international law.
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Nevertheless, considering Israel's extensive reliance on U.S.-made defense articles, the report suggests it's reasonable to assume that such weapons may have been used inconsistently with international humanitarian law.
The Biden administration maintains that Israel's overall commitment to international humanitarian law isn't necessarily undermined by individual violations, noting Israel's pledge to investigate such incidents.
Moving forward, the State Department intends to engage with the Israeli government to establish a dedicated channel for reviewing incidents of concern and recommending measures to reduce civilian harm.
U.S. refusing to call IDF campaign in Gaza a breach of international law
While the report criticized certain Israeli operations in Gaza, it refrained from definitively stating that the IDF's campaign in Gaza had breached international law, claiming that Israel is facing an "extraordinary military challenge" while combating Hamas in Gaza.
The report deemed the assurances from Israel regarding the lawful use of U.S. weapons as "credible and reliable," allowing for the continuation of weapons shipments. However, it noted the complexity of determining legitimate targets in an active war zone where Hamas utilizes civilian infrastructure and civilians as human shields.
Acknowledging Israel's significant reliance on U.S.-made weapons, the report suggested that these weapons may have been used in ways inconsistent with international humanitarian law. While Israel possesses the knowledge and tools to mitigate civilian harm, the high levels of civilian casualties raised concerns about the effectiveness of these measures.
The report highlighted criticism from the United Nations and humanitarian organizations regarding Israel's efforts to mitigate civilian harm, describing them as "inconsistent, ineffective and inadequate."
Regarding humanitarian aid to Gaza, the report initially found that Israel did not fully cooperate with U.S. efforts to maximize aid during the conflict's early stages but noted improvements later on.
David Satterfield, a former U.S. ambassador to Turkey and one of the report's contributors, emphasized its uniqueness and stated that the U.S. would continue monitoring Israeli actions closely. He characterized the conflict as unprecedented and stressed the report's candid yet credible assessment.
Watch this video reporting on the beginning of Israel's invasion of Rafah.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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