US authorities suggest that Israel could have broken global conventions during its actions in Gaza.
The state of Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip has been a hot topic of debate, with criticism coming from various parties. Now, even Washington is raising concerns over potential violations of international law. The US State Department has received accounts of likely human rights infringements by the Israeli troops. This could lead to complications in future shipments of weaponry to Israel.
The US government admits that it is possible Israel might have broken international humanitarian law with arms supplied by them in the Gaza Strip. Owing to the turmoil in the war zone, it's challenging to scrutinize specific instances or make definitive conclusions. The US State Department sent a confidential report relating to this issue to the US Congress after a delay. It states that "there are enough documented instances to warrant serious doubts."
The State Department had received information from multiple reliable UN and non-government organizations about possible human rights transgressions by the Israeli troops. Since Israel heavily relies on American defense equipment, it's quite possible that the Israeli military has used it in situations contradicting international humanitarian law regulations or best practices to reduce harm to civilians since October 7.
In early February, President Joe Biden asked for written guarantees from foreign governments that military support from the USA doesn't contradict international law. The US State Department must receive "sought after" assurances from the implicated countries within 45 days. This includes nations whose US-authorized aid has been approved by Congress and are presently embroiled in an armed conflict, including Israel. The US State Department was mandated to share the procedure in a report with Congress. The initial deadline was Wednesday, but the US State Department disclosed a delay with no more detailed explanation. The report has since been released.
Addressing the violations
At the time, Biden's report mentioned that funding will be halted if the foreign entities didn't provide written assurances within the stipulated time. It also mentioned humanitarian aid obligations, specifying that the recipient countries cannot deny, limit, or hinder the transportation or provision of humanitarian aid from the USA or aid supported by the US government. The current report reveals that Israeli officials assert Israel is obeying international humanitarian law and has increased efforts to lessen harm to civilians.
The ministry stressed that a country's general conformity to international humanitarian law is not inherently conflicted by individual violations as long as the country takes diligent measures to probe them. CNN previously reported, quoting a US government official, that there were opposing views in the US State Department about Israel's commitments' credibility and authenticity. Criticism also came from within the Democratic Party.
Reports indicate that Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen deemed the report "inconclusive" when it came to the actual use of US weapons. The report did reach a general answer. However, it "bypassed deeper evaluation" and ultimately "steered clear" of addressing the fundamental questions about conformity with international humanitarian law.
Palestinian militants from Hamas and other extremist groups executed a horrific attack on Israelis on October 7, primarily targeting civilians. Since then, Israel has been engaging in a war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The high number of civilian casualties in the Gaza war and the dire humanitarian crisis posed for the Palestinian civilian populace have spurred significant international censure of Israel's actions. As Israel's principal ally, the USA has repeatedly implored the Israeli government to provide better protection to the civilian population and permit more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
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Despite the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, President Joe Biden has sought assurances from countries involved, including Israel, that their use of US-supplied weapons does not violate international law. Amidst criticism from UN organizations and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, the State Department released a report stating that Israeli officials claim adherence to international humanitarian law and enhanced efforts to minimize civilian harm.
Source: www.ntv.de
