Four State Departments Question Israeli Compliance with International Law in Use of US Weapons During Conflict

Gaza Strip, Palestinian enclave Palestine, State of
Approximately $15bn in military aid from the US to Israel since the beginning of the conflict despite high civilian casualties
Israeli government assurances of using US weapons in accordance with international law during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict questioned by four State Department bureaus
Reports cite attacks on civilian infrastructure, refusal to investigate or punish atrocities, killing of humanitarian workers and journalists at an unprecedented rate, and arbitrary rejection of humanitarian aid trucks as concerns over Israeli compliance with international law
Reports suggest Israeli forces may be using American-provided weapons in violation of international law
Four State Departments Question Israeli Compliance with International Law in Use of US Weapons During Conflict

Title: Arming Conflict? New Reports Question Compliance of Israeli Government with International Law in Using US Weapons

Lead: A series of reports have raised concerns over the Israeli government's assurances that it is using American-provided weapons in accordance with international law during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Four State Department bureaus have questioned the credibility and reliability of these assurances, citing attacks on civilian infrastructure, refusal to investigate or punish atrocities, killing of humanitarian workers and journalists at an unprecedented rate, and arbitrary rejection of humanitarian aid trucks.

Background: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been ongoing for decades. The latest round of violence began in May 2023 when clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem escalated into a full-blown war. More than 34,000 Palestinians and over 200 humanitarian workers have been killed during this conflict.

The United States has approved approximately $15bn in military aid to Israel since the beginning of the conflict despite these high civilian casualties. However, reports suggest that Israeli forces may be using American-provided weapons in violation of international law.

Details: A report released by Al Jazeera's investigative program 'UpFront' interviewed lawyers and scholars who argue that by providing weapons that may be used in war crimes, the Biden administration may have acted against both domestic and international law. The authors of this report, lawyer and scholar Noura Erakat and former senior official at the US Department of State Josh Paul, discussed their findings with Marc Lamont Hill.

Another report from Common Dreams revealed that four State Department bureaus question the credibility and reliability of Israeli government assurances on compliance with international law in using American weaponry in Gaza. The memo raises serious concerns over Israel's non-compliance with international law, specifically citing attacks on civilian infrastructure, refusal to investigate or punish atrocities, killing of humanitarian workers and journalists at an unprecedented rate, and arbitrary rejection of humanitarian aid trucks.

Human rights groups have been documenting Israel's obstruction of aid for months. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant assured the Biden administration in March that Israeli military's use of American weaponry is in line with international law. However, the State Department is expected to deliver its final assessment of Israel's assurances to Congress in early May.

Conclusion: The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine has resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread destruction. Reports suggest that Israeli forces may be using American-provided weapons in violation of international law, raising concerns over the credibility and reliability of Israeli government assurances on compliance with international law. The Biden administration is expected to make a determination on this matter to Congress soon.


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Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • It is unclear what specific actions the State Department bureaus plan to take if they determine that Israel is not complying with international law
  • The reports do not provide concrete evidence of specific instances where Israeli forces have used US weapons in violation of international law

Sources

76%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Some in State Department don’t believe Israel is using US weapons in accordance with international law, source says

CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Jennifer Hansler, Monday, 29 April 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • The State Department is divided over whether Israel is using American-provided weapons in accordance with international law ahead of a deadline next week for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to make a determination to Congress.
    • A department official said there is not unanimity about whether to accept Israel’s assurances as
    • Four State Department bureaus question the credibility and reliability of Israeli government’s assurances on compliance with international law in using American weaponry in Gaza.
  • Accuracy
    • Leaked internal memos from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) warn that Israel is breaching a White House directive by continuing to block U.S. aid into Gaza.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article does not clearly state the author's opinions on the situation but rather reports on the division within the State Department over whether Israel is using US weapons in accordance with international law. The author does not editorialize or make selective reporting choices to support a particular position. However, there are some instances of deception by omission.
    • The article does not mention that the Biden administration has repeatedly blocked attempts by Congress to condition military aid to Israel on adherence to international law.
    • The article does not mention that the US has provided military aid to Israel for over 50 years, despite consistent reports of human rights abuses and war crimes committed by Israel.
    • The article does not mention that the US has a long history of supporting Israeli aggression in the region, including providing political and military support for its occupation of Palestinian territory.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Leaked State Department Memo: Israeli Assurances 'Neither Credible Nor Reliable'

Common Dreams Sunday, 28 April 2024 11:09
  • Unique Points
    • Four State Department bureaus question the credibility and reliability of Israeli government’s assurances on compliance with international law in using American weaponry in Gaza.
    • The memo raises serious concerns over Israel’s non-compliance with international law, specifically citing attacks on civilian infrastructure, refusal to investigate or punish atrocities, killing of humanitarian workers and journalists at an unprecedented rate, and arbitrary rejection of humanitarian aid trucks.
    • Human rights groups have been documenting Israel’s obstruction of aid for months.
    • Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant assured the Biden administration in March that Israeli military’s use of American weaponry is in line with international law.
    • The State Department is expected to deliver its final assessment of Israel’s assurances to Congress in early May.
  • Accuracy
    • The memo raises serious concerns over Israel's non-compliance with international law, specifically citing attacks on civilian infrastructure, refusal to investigate or punish atrocities, killing of humanitarian workers and journalists at an unprecedented rate, and arbitrary rejection of humanitarian aid trucks.
    • The State Department is expected to deliver its final assessment of Israel's assurances to Congress in early May.
    • Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant assured the Biden administration in March that Israeli military's use of American weaponry is in line with international law.
    • The State Department memo obtained by Reuters included four bureaus that found the Israeli government's pledge on using U.S.-provided weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law to be 'not credible or reliable.'
    • A task force of international law and policy experts found that Israel's siege on Gaza and its blocking of U.S. aid violate Section 620I of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act, which is meant to ensure U.S.-funded aid reaches its intended recipients.
    • The reported findings in the leaked State Department memo likely qualify for military assistance to be withheld according to Section 620I.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

58%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Leaked U.S. Memos Say Israel May Be Violating International Law In Blocking Gaza Aid

HuffPost Sanjana Karanth Sunday, 28 April 2024 20:52
  • Unique Points
    • Leaked internal memos from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) warn that Israel is breaching a White House directive by continuing to block U.S. aid into Gaza.
    • Israel did not demonstrate necessary compliance with NSM-20 requirements to not impede the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.
    • The reported findings in the leaked State Department memo likely qualify for military assistance to be withheld according to Section 620I.
  • Accuracy
    • The Israeli government’s pledge on using U.S.-provided weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law to be ‘not credible or reliable.’
  • Deception (0%)
    The article makes several assertions that Israel is violating international law by blocking U.S. aid to Gaza and using U.S.-provided weapons in violation of international humanitarian law. These assertions are not backed up with any evidence other than the opinions of unnamed senior officials and the author herself, making it a clear example of selective reporting and sensationalism.
    • But an internal State Department memo obtained by Reuters and published Saturday was jointly submitted to Blinken, and included four bureaus who said they do not find 'credible or reliable' the Israeli government's pledge that its military is using weapons supplied by the U.S. in accordance with international humanitarian law.
    • The bureaus also cited nearly a dozen instances that the Israeli military would 'arbitrarily restrict humanitarian aid.'
    • Israel made that pledge on March 25.
    • The State Department's leaked confirmation that Israel has restricted the transport and delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance leaves no doubt: U.S. law requires the suspension of military aid to Israel.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (0%)
    The author demonstrates clear bias against Israel by repeatedly using language that depicts Israeli actions as violations of international law and humanitarian aid restrictions, without providing any evidence or context to support these assertions. The author also quotes third-party sources who make similar allegations against Israel and expresses agreement with their views.
    • Israel is breaching a White House directive by continuing to block U.S. aid into Gaza
      • Israel's siege on Gaza and its blocking of U.S. aid violate Section 620I of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act.
        • The State Department's leaked confirmation that Israel has restricted the transport and delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance leaves no doubt: U.S. law requires the suspension of military aid to Israel.
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        98%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Arming genocide? New report documents use of US arms in Israeli war crimes

        Al Jazeera Media Network Monday, 29 April 2024 06:32
        • Unique Points
          • More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed during this conflict.
          • Over 200 humanitarian workers have also been killed.
          • The United States approved approximately $15bn in military aid to Israel despite the ongoing conflict and high civilian casualties.
        • Accuracy
          • Israel's war on Gaza has been ongoing for seven months.
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication