In a stark revelation, a leaked internal memo has thrown into question the compliance of Israel with international law regarding the use of American-supplied weaponry in Gaza. The document was jointly submitted by four bureaus within the U.S. State Department—Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; Population, Refugees, and Migration; Global Criminal Justice; and International Organization Affairs.
The memo questions the “neither credible nor reliable” assurances from the Israeli government that it is using U.S. arms in Gaza in adherence to international standards. With a pointed critique, the memo alleges Israeli forces have perpetrated “repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure” and are guilty of “killing humanitarian workers and journalists at an unprecedented rate.” Moreover, it accuses Israel of arbitrarily rejecting humanitarian aid trucks, exacerbating famine in the Gaza Strip—a concern echoed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Details of the internal State Department memo emerged just days after Congress gave final approval to a foreign aid package that includes $17 billion in unconditional military assistance for the Israeli government. In a joint statement on Friday, dozens of civil society groups warned that the newly approved military aid risks deepening U.S. complicity in an assault.
The National Security Memorandum 20 (NSM-20), enacted with the ostensible purpose of preventing arms transfers contributing to human rights violations, requires recipient countries to provide credible assurances of compliance with international law. Nevertheless, the leaked memo suggests that these assurances from Israel fall short, with Sarah Leah Whitson of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) insisting that “U.S. law requires the suspension of military aid to Israel.” Similarly, DAWN’s advocacy director, Raed Jarrar, asserts that the United States must enforce its laws and halt aid, adding, “Suspending military aid is the bare minimum the U.S. must do to avoid further complicity in these abuses.”
According to the memo, some State Department bureaus favored accepting Israel’s assurances, while others did not, and some remained neutral.
Relevant articles:
– Leaked State Dept. Memo: Israel Likely Violates International Law Using US Arms, truthout.org, 04/30/2024
– Leaked State Department Memo: Israeli Assurances ‘Neither Credible Nor Reliable’, Common Dreams, Sun, 28 Apr 2024 11:11:51 GMT
– Some US officials believe Israel may be violating international law — internal memo, The Times of Israel, Sat, 27 Apr 2024 22:16:00 GMT
– Leaked U.S. Memos Say Israel May Be Violating International Law In Blocking Gaza Aid, HuffPost, Sun, 28 Apr 2024 20:52:06 GMT
– U.S. memo shows Israelis violating international law, Tehran Times, Sun, 28 Apr 2024 17:54:45 GMT