US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will present Congress on Friday with a critical report on Israel’s behavior in the Gaza Strip.
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The State Department is studying the use of weapons by Israel and six other countries involved in various armed conflicts. If a country is found to have violated international humanitarian law or interfered with the delivery of U.S.-supported humanitarian aid, it could result in the suspension of U.S. military assistance.
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In his report, Blinken will list a series of incidents that occurred during the Gaza war and say they raise serious concerns about Israeli abuses, three officials said.
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The situation will be described in “very critical terms” and Blinken will mention that the State Department is still investigating some of these incidents. At the same time, he will not conclude that Israel has violated international law in the context of the US national security memorandum.
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On Wednesday, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin confirmed a pause in arms supplies to Israel, noting that we are talking about one shipment of military aid. Biden later said in an interview with CNN that he would stop the supply of aerial bombs and artillery shells to Israel if the military operation in the Gaza Strip expands to the southern city of Rafah, which, according to him, has not yet happened.
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On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. After this, fighters from the Palestinian Hamas movement entered the border areas, opened fire on military and civilians, and took more than 200 hostages. According to authorities, about 1.2 thousand people died.
