Beijing, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The US State Department issued a report on May 10, saying that it can be "reasonably assessed" that Israel has used US-provided weapons in some violations of international humanitarian law, but the current conflict in the Gaza Strip makes it "difficult for the United States to draw a decisive conclusion."
According to the Associated Press, this is the "harshest wording" of the US side on relevant issues, but it still refrains from linking specific US weapons to Israeli military actions, so as to leave room for future military aid to Israel.
Since the outbreak of the new Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the U.S. government has continued to provide military and diplomatic support to Israel, ignoring the huge casualties among Palestinian civilians. As the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip intensifies, the United States is increasingly isolated internationally and faces growing anti-war sentiment at home. The Palestinian-Israeli issue is now a major issue affecting the US presidential election and congressional re-election.
President Joseph Biden issued a national security memorandum in February this year, which includes requiring Israel and other countries and regions that receive U.S. military assistance to submit relevant reports certifying that they have complied with international humanitarian law and other international laws; and requiring the U.S. State Department to submit a report to Congress on whether it believes Israel's assurances are credible.
The U.S. State Department issued a report on the 10th of this month, avoiding "decisive conclusions" with "reasonable assessments".
According to the report, Israel did not share "comprehensive information" with the US about whether Israel had used US-made weapons in operations in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem that allegedly violated international humanitarian law.
The report argues that the conflict in the Gaza Strip has made it difficult for the US State Department to draw "conclusive conclusions" on the individual actions of the Israeli army, but given Israel's heavy reliance on US-made weapons, it can be "reasonably assessed" that since the outbreak of the current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on 7 October last year, the Israeli army has used US-made weapons in some operations that are "incompatible" with its responsibilities under international humanitarian law, or that it has not taken the best measures established to mitigate the harm to civilians in the operation. The Israeli army has the experience, technology, and means to minimize civilian harm, but the serious civilian casualties caused by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict constitute a "major question" about whether the Israeli army has taken concrete action.
Since the outbreak of the new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Israel has launched air and ground offensives on the Gaza Strip, while restricting the entry of aid supplies, and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has continued to deteriorate. As of the 10th of this month, some 35,000 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli military operations, most of them women and children, and some 80,000 others had been injured. According to international humanitarian organizations, Israeli forces have targeted aid convoys, hospitals, schools, shelters, medical personnel, media journalists, and other objects protected by international humanitarian law. Israel, for its part, claims that its actions are in accordance with U.S. laws and regulations and international law.
The U.S. State Department report also expressed "deep concern" about the lack of adequate assistance to the Palestinian population caused by Israel, but that Israel has recently taken some positive steps. Although these measures are still insufficient, the US does not believe that Israel's actions violate the US legal requirements for military aid recipients.
Patrick Gaspard, chairman of the American Center for Progress Studies, a US think tank, expressed disappointment with the State Department's report on the 10th, saying that it ignored "overwhelming evidence" on issues involving Israel, and that the State Department's approach was "unbelievable."
U.S. Senator Chris Van Holen, a Democrat in the U.S. Congress, said that although the State Department report gave "general statements," it still avoided drawing conclusions on "politically troublesome matters."
Michael McCaul, Republican chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, accused the report of pandering to politically motivated anti-Israeli sentiment and should not exist at all. "It's time to stand with our ally, Israel, and make sure they get everything they need." (Chen Lixi)