Leaked report: Washington knew of Israeli war crimes

Findings from the Office of the Inspector General at the State Department indicate that this is the first time a U.S. government report has acknowledged the scale of Israeli actions in Gaza that may fall under the Leahy Law — legislation that prohibits U.S. security assistance to foreign military units credibly accused of gross human rights abuses.

According to The Washington Post, U.S. officials — speaking on condition of anonymity — discussed the details of the report, saying that the oversight body’s findings, given the large number of incidents and the slow review process, raise serious doubts about the prospects of accountability for Israel’s actions.

Charles Blaha, a former State Department official who oversaw the implementation of the Leahy Laws, said:

“What concerns me is that now, as the noise of the fighting fades, accountability might simply be forgotten.”

The report was finalized just days before the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, under which remaining Israeli captives were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners, some Israeli forces withdrew, and limited humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza resumed.

The Leahy Laws, named after former Senator Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), establish consequences for foreign military units receiving U.S. funding if they are found to have engaged in extrajudicial killings, torture, or other severe violations of human rights.

The United States provides Israel with at least $3.8 billion in annual aid — a figure that has been supplemented by tens of billions more in recent years.

According to the two U.S. officials, the classified report also outlines the internal protocol used to review alleged human rights violations by foreign militaries receiving U.S. assistance.

Regarding Israel, the report describes how a “customized bureaucratic process” — maintained under successive Republican and Democratic administrations — has consistently placed Israel in a privileged position compared to other countries accused of similar human rights abuses.