Rights group says Washington must act on evidence Israel is blocking US aid to Gaza
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) says the US government is required to act on “extensive evidence” that Israel is blocking US humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN’s executive director, in response to a Reuters report, said the “State Department’s leaked confirmation that Israel has restricted the transport and delivery of US humanitarian assistance leaves no doubt: US law requires the suspension of military aid to Israel”.
The US-based advocacy organisation cited Section 620i of the US Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits the US from providing assistance to countries that “[restrict] the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance”.
Israel may be violating international law in Gaza: US officials in internal memo
Some senior US officials have advised Secretary of State Blinken that they do not find “credible or reliable” Israel’s assurances that it is using US-supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law, according to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters.
Other officials upheld support for Israel’s representation.
Under a National Security Memorandum (NSM) issued by Biden in February, Blinken must report to Congress by May 8 whether he finds credible Israel’s assurances that its use of US weapons does not violate US or international law.
By March 24, at least seven State Department bureaus had sent their contributions to an initial “options memo” to Blinken. Parts of the memo, which has not been previously reported, were classified.
The submissions to the memo provide the most extensive picture to date of the divisions in the department over whether Israel might be violating international humanitarian law in Gaza.
A joint submission from four bureaus – Democracy Human Rights and Labor; Population, Refugees and Migration; Global Criminal Justice and International Organization Affairs – raised “serious concern over non-compliance” with international humanitarian law during Israel’s prosecution of the Gaza war.
The assessment from the bureaus said Israel’s assurances were “neither credible nor reliable”. It cited eight examples of Israeli military actions that the officials said raise “serious questions” about potential violations of international humanitarian law.
On Thursday, the Arabic language spokesperson of the department resigned, becoming the third official to resign in opposition to Washington’s policy on Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7.
People gather near bodies lined up for identification after they were unearthed from a mass grave found in the Nasser Medical Complex in the southern Gaza Strip on April 25
US Senator questions if State Dep properly assessing Israeli use of weapons
US Senator Chris Van Hollen questioned whether the Biden administration is properly assessing Israel’s compliance of international law, following a news report that some American officials don’t find that country’s assurances credible.
“This reporting casts serious doubt on the integrity of the process in the Biden administration for reviewing whether the Netanyahu government is complying with international law in Gaza,” Hollen, a Democrat, said in a statement.
A recent Reuters report found some senior officials advised Secretary of State Antony Blinken that they do not find Israel’s assurances that it’s using US-supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law “credible or reliable”.
“The determination regarding compliance with international law is one of fact and law. The facts and law should not be ignored to achieve a pre-determined policy outcome. Our credibility is on the line,” said Hollen.
Not listed yet, the 14 billion extra military aid just passed to assist in the current genocide.
