Palestinian families sue US State Department over military aid to Israel

Five Palestinian families have sued the State Department over Washington's billions in military aid to Israel, demanding the enforcement of US rules to curb arms flows due to allegations of human rights abuses.

The complaint, filed on Tuesday and to which the State Department has 60 days to respond, calls for the implementation of the so-called Leahy Law, which the plaintiffs and rights group say Israel has been illegally exempted from.

The law prohibits the provision of security assistance to units facing credible allegations of human rights abuses.

Since the start of Israel's carnage in besieged Gaza, the US has enacted legislation to provide more than $12.5 billion in direct military aid to Tel Aviv.

At a press conference in Washington on Tuesday, Palestinian-American plaintiff Said Assali said his aunt and her six children were killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City, alleging US weapons were used to carry out the attack.

"Our families paid an unbearable price for the State Department's refusal to enforce its own laws," said Assali.

'Israel exception'

Two former State Department staffers told journalists US authorities apply an informal "Israel exception" when assessing the country's military actions.

"The reality is that Israel operates under a different set of rules. The State Department has created this unique, burdensome, high-level process for determining (that) applies only to Israel," said Charles Blaha, a former State Department official who worked on such determinations.

Josh Paul, who resigned from the State Department last year in protest of US policy on Gaza, offered a similar assessment.

Ahmed Moor, a plaintiff in Tuesday's lawsuit, said seven of his family members in Gaza were living "under a constant fear of bombardment" and that one had been killed.

"My family members are people just like you and me, and their lives have been destroyed by American weapons in direct violation of American law," he said.

"My family's living a nightmare."

Israeli carnage

Israel has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in its carnage so far in besieged Gaza.

In its carnage, Israel caused a massive shortage of basic necessities, including food, water, medicine and electricity, while displacing almost the entire population of the blockaded enclave.

Earlier this month, rights group Amnesty International accused Israel of "committing genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the onslaught.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant on suspicion of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

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Source: TRT