By Daphne Psaledakis and Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department has indicated that the responsibility to continue investigating certain Israeli actions during the Gaza War will transition to the incoming administration of Republican President-elect Donald Trump, as confirmed by a department spokesperson during a press briefing on Wednesday.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden is set to vacate the presidency on Jan. 20, transferring power to Trump. Sources familiar with the matter disclosed to Reuters in late October that officials at the U.S. State Department have flagged a multitude of potential instances of harm to civilians in Gaza linked to military operations by Israel utilizing U.S.-supplied weaponry, but have refrained from taking further steps in response to these incidents.
Despite facing censure from human rights organizations in light of the reported 46,000 fatalities resulting from Israel’s military actions in Gaza, as reported by the local health ministry, Washington has maintained unwavering military and diplomatic backing for its Israeli ally. The Israeli military campaign has been met with accusations of genocide and war crimes, contentions that Israel vehemently refutes.
KEY QUOTES
The State Department spokesperson addressed queries regarding the scrutiny of Israeli actions by the U.S. government, stating, “We continue to work towards conclusive solutions for several of the incidents under review. However, it is imperative to underscore that the State Department’s obligations to investigate potential breaches of international humanitarian law involving the utilization of U.S.-provided arms do not lapse on Jan. 20th. These obligations transcend the current administration and carry forward into the succeeding administration.”
CONTEXT
Negotiators brokered a phased agreement on Wednesday between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants aimed at halting the conflict in Gaza, which has led to the displacement of the entire population in the Palestinian territory and ignited a humanitarian crisis.
The recent bout of violence in the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict was instigated on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an assault on Israel, resulting in 1,200 casualties and the seizure of approximately 250 individuals as captives, according to official Israeli accounts.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler and Matthew Lewis)
