However, the report commissioned by Biden concludes that it has not found sufficient information to justify stopping the sending of military assistance to Israel.
The United States affirmed this Friday that Israel has used American weapons in Gaza in a manner “inconsistent” with international humanitarian lawbut has not found sufficient information to justify stopping the sending of military assistance to Israel.
This appears in a report from the State Department, which it delivered this Friday to Congress after its publication was delayed for several days and which represents the most detailed evaluation so far of Israel’s conduct in Gaza since the war began in October.
The document does not conclude that Israel has violated international law and rules that Washington establishes for the sale of weapons to any nation.
However, the State Department affirms that it is “reasonable to assess” that US weapons have been used by the Israeli Army. “in some cases” in a manner “inconsistent” with its obligations under international law or with “established best practices” to mitigate harm to civilians.
The report highlights that Israel has “the knowledge, experience and tools” to prevent civilian deaths; But he emphasizes that the results on the ground, including high levels of casualties, raise “substantial questions” about whether the Israeli military is using American weapons “effectively in all cases.”
Despite these indications, the State Department concluded that does not have “enough information” to determine that Israel has violated international humanitarian law and justifies that conclusion by the “nature” of the conflict in Gaza, which makes it difficult to evaluate or reach definitive conclusions about individual incidents.
The report also highlighted that Israel has initiated different processes to seek responsibility for possible violations of international law, something that is key in the United States’ assessment of whether it will continue to provide military aid to Israel.
The report also did not find enough evidence to conclude that Israel has intentionally obstructed the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where food is scarce and where more than 34,000 people have died at the hands of the Israeli Army.
This report, known as NSM-20was drawn up at the request of President Joe Biden in February and required all countries that receive US military aid and are involved in conflicts to give written “assurances” that they would comply with international law and not hinder delivery of humanitarian aid provided by the US Government.
The United States is the main supplier of weapons to Israel and one of its strongest allies in the world. Between 2016 and 2023, 69% of weapons imported by Israel It came from the North American country, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Source: Eitb
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