US report flags Israeli units for potential human rights abuses in Gaza

A classified US government report has identified Israeli military units as responsible for hundreds of potential human rights violations in Gaza, according to The Washington Post.

The assessment by the State Department’s inspector general was completed shortly before the ceasefire, US officials told the newspaper. It represents the first official US recognition of Israeli actions that may breach the Leahy Laws, which bar US security assistance to foreign forces accused of serious abuses.

Officials said investigating the incidents could take “multiple years.” The report also revealed that Israel receives special review procedures, requiring consensus among senior officials, unlike other countries where a single objection can halt aid.

“What worries me is that accountability will be forgotten now that the noise of the conflict is dying down,” said Charles Blaha, a former State Department official. The US provides Israel at least $3.8bn in annual aid, which increased substantially after 7 October.