Israel’s use of disproportionate force is a long-established tactic – with a clear aim (Paul Rogers reports)
Just two months before the Hamas attacks that led to this brutal round of fighting, the US state department instructed embassies worldwide to monitor and report all incidents of harm to civilians involving American-made arms. Section 620(i) of the Foreign Assistance Act prohibits sending arms to a country that prohibits or restricts the transport or delivery of humanitarian aid.
Instead of using those existing frameworks with tried and tested enforcement mechanisms, Biden is communicating conditions behind closed doors where there can be no oversight or accountability.
That is a problem for the rule of law and for the very idea of a “rules-based order” this administration has been so outspoken about when it comes to Ukraine and Russia. It also strains American credibility by amplifying the double standards that make a mockery of that same rules-based system. One need look no further than the US position on the military occupation of Palestine v the military occupation of Ukraine.