Report by Biden administration suggests Israel may have breached international law in Gaza

A State Department report has found “reasonable” evidence that Israel has violated international humanitarian law using US weapons in Gaza, according to the Associated Press.

The long-awaited report could have required the US to stop sending weapons to its ally if it had violated the terms of a weapons agreement. However, the investigation could not immediately link the violations to US arms, giving the Biden administration some leeway on whether to restrict future sales.

An earlier story by the AP, citing an unnamed official, had suggested that the report would find Israel had not broken international humanitarian law.

The report was the result of a presidential directive following pressure from Democrats to determine if US-made weapons sent to Israel were being used lawfully. It remains unclear if the US will continue to investigate if the violations outlined in the report were carried out with US weapons.

Amnesty International also conducted a separate investigation, finding that US munitions were used in two “deadly, unlawful air strikes on homes full of civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip” in October.

The Biden administration’s response to the report will be a test of its credibility, according to Senator Chris Van Hollen, who pushed for the investigation. President Biden recently stated that he would withhold the delivery of certain weapons to Israel if it launched a major ground operation in Rafah.

The report’s delayed delivery by the State Department has raised questions about the seriousness of investigations into potential war crimes committed by Israel during the Gaza conflict. Former officials have expressed concerns that the administration’s close ties to Israel may be undermining efforts to hold the country accountable for any violations of international law.