U.S. cites a litany of rights violations in Israel, Gaza and West Bank

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The State Department's annual human rights report cited several reported rights violations committed in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza in 2023 by parties including the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Hamas militants, and the Palestinian Authority. The Gaza conflict has worsened the human rights situation in Israel, with credible reports of 'unlawful killings' by both Hamas and the Israeli government. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed human rights concerns over the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent death of civilians during Israel's military response in Gaza. However, the Biden administration has not announced a decision to suspend U.S. security aid to elements of the Israeli military over alleged human rights abuses. The report also mentioned the deaths of more than 21,000 people in the Gaza Strip through the end of 2023. Israeli authorities have taken some steps to identify and punish officials accused of committing human rights abuses in the West Bank, but no publicly visible steps have been taken in Gaza. The report did not address the aftermath of the high-profile incident in which Israel's military targeted an international aid convoy in April, killing seven people. The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.

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