U.S. Rejects UN and HRW Claims Against Israel
WASHINGTON: On Thursday, the United States expressed its disagreement with a recent finding from a United Nations committee that described Israeli military actions as potentially aligning with “genocide.” The U.S. also took issue with an allegation from Human Rights Watch that accused Israel of “crimes against humanity” in Gaza.
Vedant Patel, a spokesperson for the State Department, emphasized that the report from the UN Special Committee, which claimed Israel was using starvation tactics in warfare, is “something we would unequivocally disagree with.” He labeled such statements as “unfounded.”
The spokesperson further criticized the Human Rights Watch report that suggested Israel forcibly displaced many Gazans throughout the ongoing conflict, describing it as a situation that amounted to “crimes against humanity.” Patel stated that the forced displacement of Palestinians would be a serious concern for the U.S. and would clash with the principles laid out by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the G7 countries at the beginning of the conflict.
Patel explained, “It is reasonable and acceptable for civilians to be asked to evacuate certain areas during military operations, with the understanding that they can return home afterward.” He concluded by saying that the U.S. has not observed any specific instances of forced displacement.
