US should immediately suspend arms transfers to Israel: Rights groups

WASHINGTON

The US should immediately suspend arms transfers to Israel, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Oxfam said Tuesday, citing Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law including with US weapons and the blocking of US-funded humanitarian assistance.

The two organizations submitted a report to the US government listing a wide range of Israeli violations of international humanitarian law since Oct. 7 last year, including the use of white phosphorus, strikes on ambulances and hospitals, and the systematic blocking of assistance, they said in a joint statement.

“There are good reasons why US law prohibits arms support for governments that block life-saving aid or violate international law with US weapons,” Sarah Yager, Washington director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

“Given ongoing hostilities in Gaza, the Israeli government’s assurances to the Biden administration that it is meeting US legal requirements are not credible,” Yager added.

“The time has long passed for the Biden administration to end lethal arms sales to Israel, and we call on them to do so now and work to end the death and suffering in Gaza,” said Scott Paul, associate director for peace and security at Oxfam America.

The examples in the report include the use of US-supplied white phosphorus in military operations in Lebanon and Gaza in October, disproportionate strikes on or near several major hospitals between Oct. 7 and Nov. 7, and a strike on a marked ambulance that reportedly killed 15 people and injured 60.

They also accused Israel of systematically blocking assistance, including preventing aid provided by the US from reaching about 300,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza.

The report also mentioned the bombardment and significant destruction of Oxfam and partner organizations’ water infrastructure.

HRW and Oxfam said they “are confident that the examples we cite here reflect a broader pattern of conduct than is currently being assessed by the US government.”

The report came as the US is facing a barrage of criticism for providing military assistance to Israel despite reports of its targeting civilians – with over 31,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, killed in Gaza – and credible reports of violations of international law and American law, including the blocking of aid provided by the US.

Over the decades, Israel has by far been the largest recipient of US foreign aid.

Last month, the White House released a memorandum requiring countries receiving weapons from the US to provide "credible and reliable" written assurances to the State Department that they comply with international law.