A few individuals within the State Department hold doubts about Israel's adherence to international law when utilizing American weapons, according to a source.
Not everyone agrees that Israel's promises are reliable and trustworthy, a government official stated. Israel had to commit to these guarantees due to a safety directive issued by US President Biden in February.
The directive demands that nations receiving US weapons comply with laws and policies, particularly international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Blinken must inform Congress by May 8th whether he believes the assurances are credible and dependable.
Human rights organizations have stated that Israel committed war crimes and violations during the Gaza conflict. Previously, numerous officials from Western countries have expressed worries that their governments are complicit in war crimes through their assistance to Israel's battle against Hamas.
On Sunday, the Department of State official did not provide any more insight into which sections of the Department support accepting Israel's assurances, those who reject them, or those who stayed neutral.
Reuters reported the involvement of four bureaus: Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Population, Refugees and Migration; Global Criminal Justice; and International Organization Affairs, in expressing "grave concern about non-compliance" with international humanitarian law during the war.
"We don't comment on leaked documents, and especially those apparently containing classified information," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
"In complex situations, the Secretary often hears a wide variety of views within the Department, and he considers all of them," he added. "In this case, the Department received the necessary assurances in accordance with the National Security Memorandum, and we are currently preparing a report for Congress."
The concerns arise after Biden signed an aid package worth $26 billion for Israel, which includes $4.4 billion to replace military equipment offered to Israel and $3.5 billion for purchasing modern armaments and other things utilizing the Foreign Military Financing Program.
Since Hamas assaulted Israel in October, taking over 1000 Israeli lives, the US has made over 100 foreign military sales to Israel. Since the conflict started, more than 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Frustration is growing among progressives towards Biden's support for Israel as demonstrations focusing on the humanitarian situation in Gaza expand across the United States, especially on college campuses, where protesters have denounced "Genocide Joe." However, the president renewed his "ironclad" commitment to Israel in a chat with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.
The White House could slow military deliveries, cut monetary aid, or considerably enhance public pressure on Netanyahu if the US determines that Israel is blocking aid to Gaza and disregarding human rights laws.
Biden's unwavering backing for Israel's war has occasionally faltered. Following an Israeli strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers this month, the president cautioned Netanyahu for the first time, hinting that a shift in unconditional financial support could be necessary if Israel didn't let more humanitarian aid into Gaza immediately.
Last week, the State Department's annual human rights report raised severe concerns about war crimes reported during the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The report addressed events from October 7th and also mentioned "reports of systematic torture and inhumane, degrading treatment or punishment of Palestinian detainees in prison facilities post-October 7th" and the forced disappearance of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza.
Although the report does not represent the US government's official stance, Blinken stated last week that the State Department was assessing the incidents.
"It's essential that we give ourselves the time to gather the facts, gather the information, and perform the analysis," Blinken said. "It's really challenging to do this in real time."
Earlier this month, during a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that, to his understanding, "we have no evidence of genocide being committed" by Israel in its assault on Gaza.
Blinken has previously deemed allegations of genocide against Israel as "groundless."
CNN's Michael Conte, Kayla Tausche, and MJ Lee helped in creating this report.
Read also:
- Games Industry Research: Carbon Emissions of Top Video Games
- U.S. cities with the most Swifties per capita
- Blackjack Casino Advantage: How to Beat the Odds
- Football 101: What is relegation in football?
Source: edition.cnn.com
