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Israeli military lawyers raise concerns over Gaza actions
(MENAFN) US intelligence indicated that Israeli military lawyers raised concerns over the legality of Israel’s actions in Gaza, fearing they could constitute war crimes, according to reports citing former American officials.
Israel launched its campaign following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that killed roughly 1,200 people. Subsequent Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have reportedly killed over 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
A UN commission has accused Israel of acts amounting to genocide, and the country is currently facing two international legal proceedings—one at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and another at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to the report, even the Israeli military internally questioned “the legality of its tactics that contrasted sharply with Israel’s public stance defending its actions.” Former officials from the Biden administration, speaking anonymously, described the intelligence materials circulated ahead of a congressional briefing in December 2024 as among the “most startling shared with top US policymakers during the war.”
“There were concerns Israel was intentionally targeting civilians and humanitarian workers,” the report said, without specifying which incidents triggered the alarm. US officials were also reportedly worried that the escalating civilian death toll “might breach international legal standards on acceptable collateral damage.”
Despite these concerns, Washington publicly defended Israel throughout the conflict. A May 2024 US government report acknowledged “reasonable concerns” that Israel may have violated international humanitarian law, though a formal finding of war crimes would have necessitated halting arms transfers and suspending intelligence cooperation.
Under President Donald Trump, the US initiated a campaign to pressure the ICC. Reports indicate a wider US-backed effort sought to suppress documentation of alleged Israeli war crimes, including the removal of hundreds of related videos from YouTube.
Last month, the Israel Defense Forces’ top legal officer, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, resigned after admitting to leaking footage showing soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee, amid pressure to stop the investigation into the incident.
Israel launched its campaign following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that killed roughly 1,200 people. Subsequent Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have reportedly killed over 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
A UN commission has accused Israel of acts amounting to genocide, and the country is currently facing two international legal proceedings—one at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and another at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to the report, even the Israeli military internally questioned “the legality of its tactics that contrasted sharply with Israel’s public stance defending its actions.” Former officials from the Biden administration, speaking anonymously, described the intelligence materials circulated ahead of a congressional briefing in December 2024 as among the “most startling shared with top US policymakers during the war.”
“There were concerns Israel was intentionally targeting civilians and humanitarian workers,” the report said, without specifying which incidents triggered the alarm. US officials were also reportedly worried that the escalating civilian death toll “might breach international legal standards on acceptable collateral damage.”
Despite these concerns, Washington publicly defended Israel throughout the conflict. A May 2024 US government report acknowledged “reasonable concerns” that Israel may have violated international humanitarian law, though a formal finding of war crimes would have necessitated halting arms transfers and suspending intelligence cooperation.
Under President Donald Trump, the US initiated a campaign to pressure the ICC. Reports indicate a wider US-backed effort sought to suppress documentation of alleged Israeli war crimes, including the removal of hundreds of related videos from YouTube.
Last month, the Israel Defense Forces’ top legal officer, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, resigned after admitting to leaking footage showing soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee, amid pressure to stop the investigation into the incident.
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