US has ‘undeniable complicity’ in Gaza war killings, say former US officials
WASHINGTON, July 3 — A dozen former U.S. government officials who quit over U.S. support for Israel's war in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday accused President Joe Biden's administration of "undeniable complicity" in the killing of Palestinians in the enclave.In a joint statement, the 12 former government officials said the administration was violating U.S. laws through its support for Israel and finding loopholes to continue shipping weapons to its ally.Both the White House and the State Department had no immediate comment on the statement.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANTThere has been mounting international criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza and of U.S. military and diplomatic support for its ally in a war that has so far killed nearly 38,000 people and created a humanitarian crisis.The resignations of the 12 U.S. officials reflects some dissent within the government over its support for Israel. Washington has pushed for the protection of civilians in Gaza and has called on Israel to improve aid access.Among the people who signed the joint statement were former members of the State Department, Education Department, Interior Department, White House and the military
.KEY QUOTES"America's diplomatic cover for, and continuous flow of arms to, Israel has ensured our undeniable complicity in the killings and forced starvation of a besieged Palestinian population in Gaza," the former officials said in the statement.They urged the U.S. government to use its "necessary and available leverage" to bring the war to an end and to ensure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. They also demanded that the U.S. government support Palestinian self-determination and fund an "immediate expansion of humanitarian assistance" in Gaza.
CONTEXTNearly 38,000 people have been killed during the war in Gaza, the local health ministry says, with many more feared buried in rubble as nearly the entire enclave has been flattened and most of its 2.3 million population displaced. There is also widespread hunger in Gaza. The war has led to genocide allegations that Israel denies.Israel's assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 hostages to the Hamas-governed enclave, according to Israeli tallies.
— Reuters
Xinhua, July 3, 2024
UN humanitarians on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the impact of Israel's order for tens of thousands of Gazans to evacuate 117 square kilometers in Khan Younis and Rafah governorates.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that over the last nine months, many of the Gazans affected by the latest evacuation order have repeatedly been displaced. Monday's order, covering about one-third of the Gaza Strip, is the most significant since the October order to evacuate northern Gaza.
OCHA said an evacuation of such a massive scale only heightens civilians' suffering and drives humanitarian needs even higher.
"People are left with the impossible choice of having to relocate, some most likely for the second or third time, to areas that have barely any spaces or services, or staying in areas where they know heavy fighting will take place," the humanitarians said.
Initial estimates by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, indicate that nearly 250,000 people may have resided in the areas subject to evacuation at the time of the order. The new evacuation order affects more than 90 schools, many of which host displaced people, as well as four medical points and the European Gaza Hospital area.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that on Monday, 70 patients and medical staff reportedly self-evacuated, and more patients evacuated on Tuesday. WHO's representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Rik Peeperkorn, said only three patients remained at the European Gaza hospital and three at the International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital.
Peeperkorn reported that the WHO supported the transfer of valuable medical equipment and supplies out of the hospital, one of the few remaining critical referral hospitals in the south of Gaza, OCHA said. However, on Tuesday, Israeli authorities said the order does not apply to patients or staff at the hospital.
The humanitarian office reiterated that all parties must always respect international humanitarian law. "This means that civilians must be protected, and their essential needs -- including food, shelter, water and health -- must be met, wherever they are in Gaza."
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