The White House Press secretary- Karine Jean-Pierre
Rhino – Agencies: In the midst of the Gaza war in which Israel used various weapons to achieve its goal of eliminating Hamas, the United States, reminded the Jewish state to abide by international law on the use of weapons.
The White House said the U.S. has shared with Israel a new U.S. national security memo reminding countries that receive U.S. weapons to abide by international law.
The memo is an administration policy statement and was sent on Thursday from the White House to senior national security officials in the Cabinet to ensure the implementation of its goals.
The memo does not impose new conditions on how U.S. military equipment should be used, but it requires President Joe Biden’s administration to send Congress a report on whether countries meet the requirements.
Since Oct. 7, nearly 28,000 people have been killed in an Israeli military crackdown on Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health officials. The Israeli attack came in response to the Hamas attack on Israel, which Tel Aviv says killed 1,200 people.
Washington provides $3.8 billion in annual military aid to Israel. Left-wing Democrats and Arab Americans groups have criticized Biden administration’s strong support for Israel, saying it provides it with a sense of impunity.
New standards?
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaking to reporters in response to a question that U.S. officials had briefed the Israelis on the memo, saying: “They reaffirmed their willingness to provide this kind of guarantee.”
Other countries using U.S. weapons were also notified, a U.S. official said, refusing to mention these countries by name.
“There are no new standards in this memo,” Jean-Pierre said. And she added: “We are not imposing new standards for military aid but we are publicly clarifying existing standards under international law including the law of armed conflict.”
One section of the memorandum reminds recipients of U.S. military aid to “respect their obligations under international law and reduce the risk of harm to civilians.”
The conflict between Israel and Hamas falls within the framework of a complex international justice system that has emerged since World War II, most of which is aimed at protecting civilians. Even if states say they act in self-defence, international rules on armed conflict apply to all those involved in the war.
U.S. President Joe Biden is facing criticism at home from Arab Americans groups that say he should call for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. Several Biden administration officials met Thursday in Dearborn, Michigan, with Arab Americans groups leaders who openly criticized Biden.
