Israel-Gaza war: Former US officials accuse Biden of ‘indisputable complicity’ in killing of Palestinians

A dozen former U.S. government officials who resigned on Tuesday over U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza accused President Joe Biden’s administration of “indisputable complicity” in the killing of Palestinians in the enclave.

In a joint statement, the twelve former government officials said that by supporting Israel, the government was violating US law and finding loopholes to continue supplying weapons to its ally.

Neither the White House nor the State Department immediately commented on the statement.

International criticism is growing of Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip and of Israel’s military and diplomatic support for its ally in a war that has so far claimed the lives of nearly 38,000 people and triggered a humanitarian crisis.

The resignations of the 12 US officials reflect some disunity within the administration over its support for Israel. Washington is pushing for the protection of civilians in Gaza and calling on Israel to improve access to aid.

Signatories to the joint statement include former officials from the State Department, the Department of Education, the Department of the Interior, the White House and the military.

“America’s diplomatic cover for Israel and the continued flow of weapons to Israel have ensured our undeniable complicity in the killings and forced starvation of the besieged Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip,” the former officials said in the statement.

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GEN-Z AGAINST GENOCIDE: HOPE FOR HUMANITY?

GEN-Z AGAINST GENOCIDE: HOPE FOR HUMANITY?

They called on the US government to use its “necessary and available influence” to end the war and secure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. They also demanded that the US government support Palestinian self-determination and fund an “immediate expansion of humanitarian assistance” in Gaza.

Nearly 38,000 people have been killed in Gaza during the war, the local health ministry said. Many more are buried under rubble as almost the entire enclave has been razed to the ground and most of its 2.3 million residents have been displaced. Gaza also faces widespread hunger. The war has led to accusations of genocide, which Israel denies.

Israel’s assault on Gaza began after the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages in the Hamas-ruled enclave, according to Israeli sources.