US slams Israel's use of American weapons in Gaza

Rafah, Palestinian Territories: The United States has issued a stunning criticism of Israel s use of American weapons in the Gaza war, after Israeli f...

Rafah, Palestinian Territories: The United States has issued a stunning criticism of Israel's use of American weapons in the Gaza war, after Israeli forces intensified operations around the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million displaced people are sheltering.

Israel's main international ally said in a report released Friday that it was "reasonable to assess" that Israel has used weapons in ways inconsistent with international humanitarian law during the seven-month war.

But the long-awaited State Department report said it could not reach "conclusive findings" and stopped short of blocking weapons shipments.

Relations between the two allies slumped earlier in the week after US President Joe Biden said he would halt some arms deliveries if Israel went ahead with a full-scale assault on Rafah threatened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The US has warned that the reputational damage Israel will suffer if it storms a city where an estimated 1.4 million civilians are sheltering will far outweigh any possible military gain.