A letter that has been signed by at least 90 lawyers – 20 of them whom serve within the Biden administration – calls on the US president to cut military aid to Israel, according to an exclusive Monday report by Politico.
Among those attached to the letter from the Biden administration are attorneys from the State Department, which had already announced that five units of the IDF are responsible for violations of human rights in incidents that took place outside of Gaza before conflict broke out between Israel and Hamas in October. Attorneys from the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Labor, and Energy also co-signed.
Regarding the Justice Department, the letter called for US citizens serving in the IDF to be investigated by the department if they committed war crimes that could be prosecuted under American law – to which the department nor the White House issued an answer. A staffer in the department spoke on condition of anonymity saying that the American government “is violating its own laws,” the report quoted them.
The letter, obtained by the digital newspaper, argues that Israel’s military campaign to destroy the Hamas terrorist organization has violated US and international humanitarian law.
Lawyers who have signed the letter come from both the United States and abroad. The signed letter is planned to be sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the report said.
What US humanitarian laws did Israel violate?
According to the Politico-obtained letter, Israel had violated US statutes such as the Arms Export Control Act and Leahy Laws. The lawyers also argued that the Jewish state violated the Geneva Conventions due to alleged disproportionate attacks on civilians.
The signed attorneys state that “the law is clear and aligned with the majority of Americans who believe the US should cease arms shipments to Israel until it stops its military operation in Gaza,” Politico quotes the letter as saying.
The White House has on May 8 to certify to Congress that Israel’s military actions involving US-supplied weapons adhere to international law.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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