Paul O’Brien, the Executive Director of Amnesty International’s USA branch, has claimed that Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza using American ammunition. O’Brien’s statement was made in a post on the social media platform “X,” following the U.S. Senate’s approval of a $95 billion foreign aid package, which includes $26 billion for Israel.
O’Brien cited research by Amnesty International that supports allegations of war crimes by the Israeli military against Palestinians. He urged the United States to cease arms shipments that are used to commit these war crimes. Additionally, O’Brien thanked members of the U.S. Senate and House who opposed the foreign aid package bill.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli military has been engaged in a devastating war in Gaza, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties, mostly women and children.
Recent investigations and reports have highlighted a series of actions by Israeli forces in Gaza that have been classified as potential war crimes. These allegations primarily concern indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks that have resulted in high civilian casualties, including women and children.
Similarly, Human Rights Watch has documented numerous airstrikes by Israel that have led to significant destruction and civilian deaths in Gaza. They emphasize the lack of military targets in many of the bombed areas, suggesting that these might constitute direct attacks on civilian objects, which are prohibited under international law. They also highlight the use of destructive and indiscriminate weapons in densely populated civilian neighborhoods.
