Following an investigation, the human rights organization Amnesty International found that the Israeli military used US-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) to commit war crimes in Gaza on Tuesday.
Amnesty International alleges that it found “distinctive fragments of the munition in the rubble of destroyed homes in central Gaza.” The organization also asserts that the Israeli military used JDAMs in two strikes that killed 43 civilians. Amnesty took pictures of codes stamped on the scraps in the rubble at the site and stated that the codes “are associated with JDAMs and Boeing, the manufacturer.” Additionally, the investigation did not find that there were any military objectives at the strike sites.
In response to the findings, Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard stated, “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 Biden administration. The US-made weapons facilitated the mass killings of extended families.”
Amnesty reiterated the importance for the UN Secretary Council to impose an arms embargo on both Israel and Hamas and urged the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to expedite its investigation of war crimes in Gaza. Chief Prosecutor of the ICC Karim A.A. Khan concluded his first-ever trip to Israel and Palestine on Sunday. US National Security Advisor Dr. Phil Gordon also visited Israel this week and met with Israeli officials. A White House press release in response to this visit stated:
Throughout his meetings, Dr. Gordon reiterated the Biden-Harris Administration’s resolute support for Israel’s right to defend itself in the face of the Hamas terrorist threat. He discussed Israeli military objectives and operations in Gaza and underscored the importance of adherence to international humanitarian law and the imperative of increased efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance and protect civilians. Dr. Gordon emphasized that Hamas is a barbaric terrorist organization and that no nation could accept the threat Hamas poses, and that we support Israel’s legitimate military objectives.
Amnesty’s report comes nearly two months into Israel’s war with Hamas and shortly after a temporary ceasefire that resulted in the release of numerous hostages and an influx of humanitarian aid. Both Israel and Hamas have been accused of multiple war crimes throughout the conflict.
This is not the only criticism of military exports to Israel. Human rights groups Oxfam Novib, PAX and The Rights Forum are seeking to halt the Dutch government‘s export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel in a hearing that began Monday.