This week, a group of organizations released a new online resource documenting violations of U.S. and international law committed by Israel. The largest recipient of military funding from the United States over the years, according to both governmental and civil society assessments, Israel is violating U.S. and international law using U.S. weapons. The groups are calling for an immediate suspension of any transfers of arms to Israel’s government that could be used to harm civilians or commit further war crimes in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, or elsewhere.
The public release of this information coincides with the Biden Administration’s deadline to report to Congress on Israel’s use of U.S. weapons in Gaza. The online tracker documents a series of high-profile violations that have occurred since October of 2023 and are specifically relevant to U.S. laws and policies that relate to arms transfers, international law, and civilian protection. It can be accessed at https://afsc.org/israeli-violations.
Advocates point to policies like the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, which prohibits arms transfers if it is “more likely than not” that the arms transfer will aggravate the risk of serious rights abuses; Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance, which tracks reports of civilian harm by partner governments and applies steps to address concerns; and National Security Memorandum-20 (NSM-20), which requires governments receiving U.S. weapons to provide assurances they will abide by international humanitarian law and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. Some incidents may trigger restrictions in U.S. law such as the Leahy Law, Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act, and Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act.
The tracker can help journalists, researchers, and government officials get accurate information about the current situation in Gaza and elsewhere. The tracker focuses on the actions of Israel because, although Palestinian militant groups have also violated international law, they are not actively supported by the United States government.
This resource was developed as a collaboration between members of the Arms Sales Accountability Project. Contributors include American Friends Service Committee, Center for Civilians in Conflict, Institute for Middle East Understanding, and Middle East Democracy Center.