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Amnesty International urges US to stop arms supply to 'Israel'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Amnesty International
6 Dec 2023 11:51

An investigation by Amnesty International showed that weapons used by "Israel" to target Palestinian civilians were manufactured by the United States.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin thanks crew at "Nevatim" air base in occupied Palestine, Friday, Oct. 14, 2023 (AP)

According to a report by Amnesty International, 43 Palestinians in Gaza were killed by US-made weapons utilized by "Israel".

“A new investigation by Amnesty International has found US-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) were used by the Israeli military in two deadly, unlawful air strikes on homes full of civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip,” the organization said in a post on X.

A new investigation by Amnesty International has found US-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) were used by the Israeli military in two deadly, unlawful air strikes on homes full of civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/l8Q79JVskm
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) December 5, 2023

The metal fragments of the weapons indicated that they were manufactured in the US in 2017 and 2018.

“The two strikes killed a total of 43 civilians. In both cases, survivors said there had been no warning of an imminent strike,” the watchdog further said.

On the website, Amnesty International detailed more information and called for the urgent halt of US weaponry being sent to "Israel". It also called for an investigation into Israeli war crimes because of the constant deliberate targeting of civilians.

"On 10 October, an air strike on the al-Najjar family home in Deir al-Balah killed 24 people. On 22 October, an air strike on the Abu Mu’eileq family home in the same city killed 19 people. Both homes were south of Wadi Gaza, within the area where, on 13 October, the Israeli military had ordered residents of northern Gaza to relocate to."

Agnes Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, said, “The fact that US-made munitions are being used by the Israeli military in unlawful attacks with deadly consequences for civilians should be an urgent wake-up call to the (Joe) Biden administration. The US-made weapons facilitated the mass killings of extended families.”

“Two families have been decimated in these strikes, further proof that the Israeli military is responsible for unlawfully killing and injuring civilians in its bombardment of Gaza".

She emphasized that knowingly providing arms for potential violations of international law contradicts the obligation to uphold respect for international humanitarian law. Amnesty International also contended that there were no legitimate military targets in the areas bombed by "Israel", expressing concerns about direct attacks on civilians. The use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas is deemed potentially indiscriminate and warrants investigation as war crimes.

Amnesty also made efforts to contact the IOF to inquire about and examine the attacks but has received no response as of yet.

The United States' blatant support of genocide

This does not come as a surprise, as the US has been transparent in its support of the genocide in Gaza.

The United States "is not saying stop the war and do not fight anymore," the Israeli outlet Ynet reported on Tuesday.

The United States has been playing both sides; on one end, it supports and funds the Israeli occupation's aggression on Gaza, but on the other, it claims to be against committing massacres against Palestinians.

Biden was also ramping up military aid to "Israel" to pave the way for a “swift, decisive and overwhelming” response against the Palestinian Resistance, as the White House was requesting an additional $14 billion in support from Congress - most of which was meant for weapons.

The US military claims to have prepared 2,000 personnel and a range of units on a heightened standby for potential deployment to "Israel". However, defense officials stated that the forces are not intended to serve in combat roles and are tasked with advising and medical roles, but some could enter to support Israeli forces.

Two aircraft carrier groups, USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, have already been sent to the region, which includes one missile cruiser, at least two destroyers, and dozens of aircraft including jet fighters alongside around 5,000 servicemen and women.