180 days of genocide later, White House denies Israeli law violations
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White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby denies any evidence of Israeli crimes and violations of International Humanitarian Law.
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National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Washington. (AP)
Speaking to the press on April 2, a White House spokesperson said that the United States had looked into several actions by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza "in the past" and had not found "any incidents where the Israelis have violated international humanitarian law."
This response came to a question asked by an Irish-born columnist for The Hill, Niall Stanage, to the White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby about how the US continues to send military aid to the Israeli occupation with no conditions.
Kirby was asked the same question by a journalist earlier, to which he responded by saying that the US has communicated American concerns to the Israeli occupation multiple times.
The journalist then labeled his answer as verbal commitment and not actual action, which he replied to by saying "I know, you want us to hang some sort of condition over their neck."
Stanage also asked Kirby why the White House did not implement any conditions on "Israel’s" use of weapons.
He cited a presidential memorandum released on February 8, specifying that the administration’s policy was to "prevent arms transfers that risk facilitating or otherwise contributing to violations of human rights or international humanitarian law."
Kirby claims no evidence of 'deliberate' Israeli attack on aid workers
Referring to the Israeli airstrike a day before targeting aid workers on their way to Gaza and killing seven of them, Stanage asked, "Is firing a missile at people delivering food and killing them not a violation of international humanitarian law?"
Kirby, in response, started off by admitting that "Israel" blatantly said that this attack was a "mistake" then moved on to argue that there is no evidence of this being a "deliberate strike" by saying, "Your question presumes, at this very early hour, that it was a deliberate strike, that they knew exactly what they were hitting, that they were hitting aid workers and did it on purpose, and there there’s no evidence of that."
Read more: Dear ICC, actions speak louder than words
Kirby denies Israeli violations of International Humanitarian Law
In further attempts to defend "Israel", Kirby claimed that there is no evidence of Israeli violations of international humanitarian law, despite several international organizations and official sources documenting such instances, saying, "I would remind you, sir, that we continue to look at incidents as they occur. The State Department has a process in place. And to date, as you and I are speaking, they have not found any incidents where the Israelis have violated international humanitarian law."
"They have never violated international humanitarian law, ever, in the past five to six months?" Stanage asked.
"The State Department has looked at incidents in the past and has yet to determine if any of those incidents violate international humanitarian law," Kirby replied.
Albanese: 'International Humanitarian Law manipulated'
The UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in occupied Palestine, Francesca Albanese, announced in a statement to Al Mayadeen on March 27 that what is happening in Gaza is described as an "unprecedented war crime," while strengthening her statement with the argument she used to present the genocide charges that "today have been integrated."
Albanese clarified by saying she initially made a connection between "Israeli leaders' statements and the soldiers' actions on the ground."
"I analyzed specific cases, and we found a lot that needed to be addressed and written in a way that did not fit into the ten-thousand-word report we submitted," she added.
Similarly, Albanese emphasized to Al Mayadeen that she addressed specific cases that substantiate her analysis, highlighting how "international humanitarian law has been distorted and blatantly manipulated to justify genocidal violence," adding that "The act of genocide is confirmed and was committed against the entire population, adults and minors, and the issue is not limited to the Israeli occupation raiding the Gaza Strip."
The UN rapporteur also observed that "there are documented instances of violence, captured by Israeli soldiers themselves, perpetrated against Palestinian civilians. These include acts of humiliation, killings, massacres, and disregard for cultural and religious sanctuaries. These incidents unfolded in plain sight, and my role was to elevate their significance, categorizing them as genocide."
