Upcoming State Department Report Doesn't Accuse Israel of War Crimes

Report to Congress

A report from the US State Department regarding Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip is due to be presented to Congress this Friday. The report does not conclude that Israel has violated the conditions for the use of US weapons, according to US officials who have spoken to Axios.

This report, which is the result of a months-long investigation into whether Israel has broken international law or hindered aid efforts in Gaza, has sparked a heated internal debate within the State Department.

President Biden's National Security Memorandum

In February, President Joe Biden agreed to issue a national security memorandum to investigate the use of US weapons by Israel in Gaza. The report aimed to scrutinize the use of weapons by Israel and six other countries, as reported by Axios.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has faced pressure from the US ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, and the outgoing US humanitarian envoy to Gaza, David Satterfield. They have urged Blinken to conclude that Israel is not obstructing aid efforts, despite recommendations from USAID and the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

Israel's Policy Change

Lew and Satterfield informed Blinken in a memo that although Israel has restricted aid in the past, it has since altered its policy following pressure from Biden. The report from Blinken is expected to detail a series of incidents that occurred during the war in Gaza and note that they raised significant concerns about Israel's potential violations of international law, according to three US officials who spoke to Axios.

They further added that while the report will be highly critical, and state that the State Department is still investigating specific incidents, Blinken will not conclude that Israel has violated international law in the context of the national security memorandum.

Republican Criticism and Democratic Concerns

Some Republican lawmakers have criticized the national security memorandum and the forthcoming report. Last week, 88 Democratic lawmakers wrote to Biden stating that there is "sufficient evidence" of Israeli restriction of aid into Gaza.

Earlier this week, Politico reported that the release of the State Department report was delayed by several days at the last minute. The report is due to be released a day after Biden warned that his administration would not support or provide weapons for an expanded Israeli assault on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah.

Israel's Control of Rafah

Israel took control of the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday morning and has been continuously bombarding the east of the city, resulting in the death of dozens of civilians, including children.

A US arms shipment to Israel has already been postponed due to concerns about Rafah. If the report had confirmed the overwhelming evidence of Israeli war crimes and obstruction of humanitarian aid efforts, US military aid for Tel Aviv was at risk of being discontinued. Consequently, supporters of Israel in Washington have pressured the State Department to avoid such a conclusion.

Closing Thoughts

This report and the surrounding controversy raise significant questions about international law, humanitarian aid, and the use of military force. What are your thoughts on the State Department's findings and their implications for US-Israel relations? Share this article with your friends and let's discuss it. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.