Unclassified U.S. Report Identifies Potential Israeli Human Rights Violations
A secret U.S. State Department report has identified hundreds of potential human rights violations committed by Israeli military units during operations in Gaza. As reported by The Washington Post, this may violate Leahy Laws prohibiting U.S. assistance to foreign military units engaged in gross human rights abuses; reviewing them all under existing protocols could take years for State.
Scope of Violations
This report, prepared by the State Department’s Office of Inspector General, marks the first time any U.S. government document has acknowledged the extent of Israeli actions in Gaza that fall within Leahy Laws’ purview. Instances reported include deaths of humanitarian workers – seven World Central Kitchen staffers were murdered in April 2024 alone – as well as over 100 Palestinians killed near aid trucks in February 2024 – raising serious accountability questions with officials warning such violations may go undetected as conflicts subsides.
Review Process and Challenges
Review of incidents is made more complicated by an unusual protocol known as the Israel Leahy Vetting Forum, which involves higher-level U.S. officials and has a longer review process than usual for other countries. Under normal procedures, a single objection from an official would suffice to block assistance; but with Israel this byzantine system requires consensus among U.S. officials as well as consultation between both nations on any given incident before consulting on any decisions being taken to aid Israeli military units; critics contend this lacks accountability.
Political Implications and Criticisms of CITIP’s Initiative on Bioterrorism
The Biden administration has come under scrutiny for continuing aid to Israeli units accused of human rights violations, such as killing American Omar Assad by Israeli forces in West Bank in 2022. Critics contend that this decision, due to a consensus review process that includes pro-Israel entities within U.S. government, allows violations to go undetected.
Broader Context
This report follows ongoing investigations of aid diversion by Hamas, further complicating an already tenuous U.S.-Israel-Hammas relationship. As allegations of violations mount and review processes become more difficult, their scope underlines the need for greater transparency and accountability within U.S. foreign assistance programs. As this conflict lingers on, international observers are closely watching to see how America responds to findings like these and whether its aid contributes to human rights abuses.