US requests Israeli commitment on American weapon use in Gaza, sets deadline for response

The Biden administration asked Israel to sign a declaration stating that the use of American weapons in the region will adhere strictly to international law, three senior Israeli and American officials told Walla! on Tuesday. Additionally, the US urged Israel to permit humanitarian aid into Gaza and has only given Israel 45 days to respond to the request.

The Biden administration threatened that failure to provide a "credible and reliable" commitment within the deadline may result in the suspension of arms shipments.

This demand for a written commitment is part of a new national security policy announced by President Biden at the beginning of February. While the policy isn't exclusively focused on Israel, it was prompted by concerns raised by American senators regarding Israel's use of American weaponry in the conflict in Gaza.

Under the new policy, a country receiving American arms must provide a written assurance to the United States that it will use these weapons in compliance with international law.

Furthermore, countries deploying American weapons in conflict zones must also commit in writing to "permit and not arbitrarily hinder, at sea or otherwise, the transfer of American humanitarian aid or aid supported by the United States." 

According to the new policy, failure to deliver this written commitment to the American government within 45 days from its publication, i.e., by the last week of March, will result in the cessation of American arms shipments to that country.

New ‘international’ policy singles Israel out?

The White House's new policy was announced following pressure from Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who sought to introduce a new provision with similar wording to the legislation concerning military aid to Israel and Ukraine.

American officials revealed that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed concerns to the White House that voting on the new provision could divide the Democratic faction in the Senate. He requested that the administration find an alternative solution that doesn't require legislation.

"We made it clear to Senator Schumer and other senators supporting the new provision that we are determined to bring it to a vote if we fail to implement this policy through other means by the implementing authority. Our pressure, along with the reasonableness of the commitment we are seeking regarding the supply of weapons, led the American government to collaborate with us on this issue," Van Hollen told Walla!.

Van Hollen stated that in mid-January, he discussed the matter with White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and engaged in seven additional rounds of talks with other senior White House officials until the new policy memorandum was formulated, which was kept secret until its earlier release this month.

"We did this to ensure that the supply of American weapons aligns with both our values and our interests," Van Hollen declared.