The U.S. Demands Written Commitment from Israel to Respect Human Rights in the Use of American Weapons

On Wednesday, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed that the U.S. has asked Israel to sign a letter committing to not use American weapons in ways that violate human rights. Matthew Miller stated that "this request is not only for Israel but includes all countries that receive U.S. military aid," adding: "We ask all countries receiving U.S. military assistance to first provide a written commitment that they will use the weapons in accordance with U.S. laws of war and second, facilitate humanitarian aid without arbitrarily rejecting or limiting it." Since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas, at least 250 cargo planes and over 20 ships carrying more than 10,000 tons of weapons and military equipment have been delivered to Israel by the U.S. Israel has faced severe criticism for its actions in the Gaza war, where tens of thousands have been killed in Israeli attacks, and U.S. officials have repeatedly urged Israel to take more actions to reduce casualties. There are increasing calls from Congress to condition military aid to Israel. Miller had previously confirmed that the United States is assessing civilian casualties from American weapons in Israel. The Israeli Defense Minister has called for military service for "ultra-Orthodox" Jews; the opposition party leader and a member of the "war cabinet" welcomed this. The Palestinian Authority Minister stated that he does not expect a "miracle" from the "Moscow negotiations" to create a unified government. Britain is implementing stricter security measures for lawmakers amid tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. Speculation continues regarding a possible agreement; Egypt is hopeful; Hamas is "ready" to continue the war. UN officials report that 576,000 residents of Gaza are on the brink of famine.