U.S. pauses Israel weapons shipment over Rafah assault concerns
NBCMay 05
US Says Israel's Use of Its Weapons Likely Breached International Law
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Image copyright: Amir Levy/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
A State Department report to Congress released on Friday has assessed that Israel may have violated international humanitarian and human rights law in Gaza using US-supplied weapons.
However, the report added that Israel hasn't shared sufficient information to confirm if US weapons were used in a manner "inconsistent" with its international law obligations.
The Spin
Pro-Israel narrative
Israel has reached a decisive point in this conflict. If the nation gives in to international pressure, it will make clear to Israel's enemies that the country is weak and cannot stand up for itself. Such weakness will only encourage another attack like Oct. 7, which is simply unacceptable. Israel must continue to push into Rafah and win this war.
Pro-Palestine narrative
The most consistent obstacle in negotiating a cease-fire continues to be Netanyahu and his far-right government. If he wasn't pursuing salvaging his political career — and if the Biden administration wasn't so weak geopolitically — perhaps thousands of lives could have been saved. Either way, it's now up to Israel to ensure the end of this brutal war.
