The State Department told Congress on Friday that although it hasn't found violations that would merit withholding military aid from Israel, it is "reasonable to assess" that the US ally's offensive in Gaza has used US weapons in breaking international law. At the same time, the Biden administration said it accepts Israel's word that its military campaign has not violated the law. Both conclusions were in a report ordered by President Biden, who called for similar evaluations for all nations receiving US weapons, the Washington Post reports. It's the most in-depth assessment yet of Israel's operation in Gaza.
The report says Israel "has the knowledge, experience and tools to implement best practices for mitigating civilian harm in its military operations," per the New York Times. But the toll in Gaza, including civilian casualties, raises "substantial questions" about whether the Israel Defense Forces are using that capability to the fullest. In investigating allegations that Israel broke human rights laws, the report says, the US ran into Israel's refusal to turn over complete information on whether US weapons were used in those cases. Israel launched the offensive after Hamas fighters attacked it on Oct. 7, then retreated to Gaza.
The report concedes that Israel has faced an "extraordinary military challenge" fighting Hamas in Gaza, per the BBC. It also notes the difficulty in obtaining reliable information from the war zone, including on the way Hamas operates in a place densely populated by civilians. But military aid shipments will not stop, after the administration said it found Israel's assurances that it will employ US weapons in a manner consistent with international law "credible and reliable." The report adds that the US did not conclude that Israel had intentionally obstructed humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza, per the Times. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)