After an initial deadline slated for Wednesday, the State Department said there’s just a “brief delay” in publishing its report which assesses Israel’s assurances that its use of US weapons in its war against Hamas does not violate US or international law.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller wouldn’t specify when exactly the report will be released, saying it will be up “in the coming days.”
Miller denied allegations that the delay in producing the report indicates the Department is not taking Israel’s assurances seriously.
Some find Israel’s assurances not credible
“We have taken this incredibly seriously…but it is also important that we get this right, that we do a thorough job. This is the first time the department has conducted such an exercise,” Miller said. “So we are taking all deliberate care to make sure that we get everything in it absolutely correct. It will be just a brief delay.”
Reuters reported last month that some senior US officials do not find Israel’s assurances credible. The Reuters report, along with investigations by outside organizations like Amnesty International, has prompted some lawmakers to call on the Biden administration not to tilt the report toward Israel.
The memorandum bars any recipient of US military assistance from restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid.The report deadline comes amid concern about famine in Gaza and calls from the United States, other governments and international bodies for Israel to refrain from launching a big offensive against Rafah, a city that Israel calls Hamas fighters’ last stronghold but is also the refuge of more than 1 million displaced Palestinian civilians.
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