US to probe further possible international law violations by Israel

The government of the United States said on Sunday it intends to conduct further investigations following the publication of a report on possible violations of international law by Israel.

"So we have a number of incidents that we continue to look at, to try to get the best possible assessment," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on US television on Sunday.

"Given the totality of what we've seen in terms of civilian suffering, in terms of children, women, men caught in this crossfire Hamas is making who've been killed or been injured, it's reasonable to assess that in a number of instances Israel has not acted in a manner that's consistent with international humanitarian law," Blinken said.

However, "this is an extraordinarily complex military environment," which is why it is not possible to make a final assessment, Blinken said.

Blinken was essentially echoing what the US State Department had previously conveyed in a report to the US Congress.

The report stated that the US government believes it is possible that Israel may have violated international humanitarian law with weapons provided by the US in the Gaza Strip.

Due to the situation in the war zone, it is difficult to assess individual incidents or make conclusive findings.

At the beginning of February, President Joe Biden demanded written assurances from foreign governments that military aid from the US does not violate international law. Critics complained that the US government was now shirking a clear judgement.

Blinken now emphasized that the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement is hiding behind civilians - for example in hospitals, schools, mosques or residential buildings.

"And that makes it very difficult to determine, particularly in the midst of war, exactly what happened and to draw any final conclusions from any one incident," Blinken said.

There is a difference between "stated intent" and "results," said Blinken, referring to Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip. "We need to pursue these investigations, just as Israel is doing itself."

Blinken made it clear that the US government continues to reject a major military operation in the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. The US government is therefore withholding a delivery of so-called heavy bombs to Israel. This is the only delivery that is being withheld.

There is an "an ongoing conversation with Israel," said Blinken. The issue is the impact that the use of these weapons could have in densely populated areas such as Rafah.