Biden administration worries Israel is violating international law with US weapons

The Guardian reported on May 10 that in a report submitted to the US Congress, the US State Department said there was reason to suspect that Israel had not followed through on its commitments when using US weapons. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel had made a "credible" commitment for the US to continue transferring weapons.

However, with Tel Aviv heavily dependent on US weapons, Israeli military attacks from October 2023 could have used US weapons "in cases inconsistent with international law," according to Mr. Blinken.

US stops bomb transfer to Israel over Rafah attack fears

But the US State Department also acknowledged that the evidence was not enough to recommend that Congress stop arms aid to Israel, based on the national security memorandum that President Joe Biden signed in February to ensure that recipients of US weapons comply with human rights law.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said the administration had "evaded difficult questions" about whether to continue providing aid to Israel. He noted that the State Department 's report itself contained contradictions, raising concerns about Israel's failure to meet its commitments but saying Tel Aviv's commitments were "credible."

Israeli tanks near the Israel-Gaza border on May 7.

The report also noted that the presence of individual violators does not necessarily mean that Israel is going against its commitments, as long as the authorities thoroughly investigate and hold violators accountable.

The report comes two days after Biden raised concerns about Israel’s use of American weapons and halted the transfer of some bombs to Tel Aviv. The issue of arms transfers is the latest conflict in the US-Israel alliance. The Biden administration has repeatedly objected and threatened to halt the transfer if Israel launches a large-scale attack on the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 9 that Israelis were ready to “fight with their fingernails” if necessary, according to Reuters.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chinh-quyen-ong-biden-lo-israel-vi-pham-luat-quoc-te-bang-vu-khi-my-185240511072454487.htm