U.S.gov'tsaysweaponssuppliedtoIsraelmayhavebeenusedinviolationofint'llaw_GuangmingOnlineU.S.gov'tsaysweaponssuppliedtoIsraelmayhavebeenusedinviolationofint'llawWASHINGTON,May10(Xinhua)--TheadministrationofU.S.PresidentJoeBidensaidinareportFridaythatitis"reasonabletoassess"thatU.S.weaponssuppliedtoIsraelmayhavebeenusedinviolationofinternationalhumanitarianlaw(IHL).TheBidenadministrationsaidinanoverduereportdraftedbytheStateDepartmentanddeliveredtoCongressthattheUnitedStateshasnotbeensharedwith"completeinformation"byIsrael"toverifywhetherU.S.defensearticles"coveredbythereport,whichassessedtheuseofU.S.-suppliedweaponsbyIsraelduringtheperiodfromOct.7whenHamasattackedIsraeltolate-April,"werespecificallyusedinactionsthathavebeenallegedasviolationsofIHLor(internationalhumanrightslaw)inGaza.""However,certainIsraeli-operatedsystemsareentirelyU.S.-origin,"thereportsaid,"andarelikelytohavebeeninvolvedinincidentsthatraiseconcernsaboutIsrael'sIHLcompliance."Thereport,knownasNationalSecurityMemorandum20(NSM-20)whichBidenorderedinFebruary,wentontosaythat"itisdifficulttoassessorreachconclusivefindingsonindividualincidents.Nevertheless,givenIsrael'ssignificantrelianceonU.S.-madedefensearticles,itisreasonabletoassessthatdefensearticlescoveredunderNSM-20havebeenusedbyIsraelisecurityforcessinceOctober7ininstancesinconsistentwithitsIHLobligationsorwithestablishedbestpracticesformitigatingcivilianharm.""WhileIsraelhastheknowledge,experience,andtoolstoimplementbestpracticesformitigatingcivilianharminitsmilitaryoperations,theresultsontheground,includinghighlevelsofciviliancasualties,raisesubstantialquestionsastowhetherthe(IsraelDefenseForces)isusingthemeffectivelyinallcases,"thereportcontinued.ThereportsaiditassessedthatallrecipientcountriesofU.S.armstransferinvolvedinthereport,includingIsrael,made"credibleandreliable"assurancesinMarchthatU.S.armswouldbeusedinwaysconsistentwithinternationallaw,thusjustifyingthecontinuedflowofU.S.weapons.ThereportwasmandatedforthesecretaryofstatebyBideninaFebruarypresidentialmemorandum,inwhichthepresidentpledgedthathisadministrationwill"provideperiodiccongressionalreportstoenablemeaningfuloversight"tothetransferofU.S.armstoforeigngovernments.ThereportwasreportedlypushedbysomeDemocraticlawmakerssoastopressIsraelonthehumanetreatmentofciviliansinGaza.TheStateDepartmentmissedtheMay8deadlineforthesubmissionofthereporttoCongress.Thedepartmenthasbeenunderpressureinrecentdaystoexplainthedelay.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.