US-Israel Panel to Investigate Civilian Casualties in Gaza, First Meeting Slated for December

US-Israel Panel to Investigate Civilian Casualties in Gaza, First Meeting Set for December

The Biden administration has announced that a U.S.-Israel panel will hold its first meeting in early December to address reports of civilian harm during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This meeting, however, comes more than a month later than the U.S. initially requested, which was for the panel to be established by the end of October.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated that the panel will focus on gathering information regarding incidents involving American-made or -supplied weapons, which have been implicated in civilian casualties. The goal, Miller explained, is to assist the State Department in evaluating the use of U.S.-provided weapons and to inform potential U.S. policy decisions related to the war.

This panel follows the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza. The conflict, which has lasted for weeks, has caused widespread devastation. Experts warn that famine may already be affecting northern Gaza, with Israel’s air and ground offensives leading to hundreds of deaths and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.

In response to worsening humanitarian conditions, U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, sent a letter to Israeli leaders in October, urging them to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza. The letter warned that the U.S. might restrict some weapons systems to Israel if progress was not made within 30 days. However, that deadline passed without any concrete decisions, and while some positive steps were noted, Israel has yet to meet the full criteria laid out by the U.S.

Aid organizations have reported that the situation in Gaza has continued to deteriorate, citing incidents such as the theft of nearly 100 trucks carrying vital supplies, which led to soaring food prices and severe shortages, particularly in central Gaza. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, and many are now living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in tent camps.

Miller acknowledged these developments, pointing to a breakdown in law and order in Gaza and emphasizing the need for an end to the fighting. He stressed that a sustainable resolution to the crisis could only be achieved with a new governance and security framework in Gaza, which would address the root issues behind the ongoing conflict.

The U.S. hopes that the investigation into civilian casualties will contribute to making more informed decisions about its future support and actions in the region.

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