The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law, but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes,
CBC reports.
The finding of "reasonable" evidence to conclude that the U.S. ally had breached international law, protecting civilians, in the way it conducted its war against Hamas was the strongest statement that the Biden administration has made on the matter. It was released in a summary of a report being delivered to Congress on Friday.
But the caveat that the administration wasn't able to link specific U.S. weapons to individual strikes by Israeli forces in Gaza could give the administration leeway in any future decision on whether to restrict U.S. provisions of offensive weapons to Israel.
The first-of-its-kind assessment, which was compelled by U.S. President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats in Congress, comes after seven months of airstrikes, ground fighting and aid restrictions that have killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza.
The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas led a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people — with multiple Canadians among the dead — and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. In response to the attack, Israel launched a campaign in Gaza aimed at destroying the militant group and its infrastructure.
