Biden administration won’t conclude Israel violated terms of US weapons agreement, AP sources say

WASHINGTON (AP) — A soon-to-be released Biden administration report does not conclude that Israel has violated the terms for its use of U.S. weapons, according three people who have been briefed on the matter.

The report is expected to be sharply critical of Israel even though it didn’t conclude that Israel violated terms of U.S.-Israel weapons agreements, according to one U.S. official.

Two U.S. officials and a third person briefed on the findings of the national security memorandum to be submitted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Congress discussed the matter before the report’s release. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the information was not yet public.

A senior Biden administration official said the memorandum is expected to be released later Friday, but declined to comment on the findings.

The Biden administration finding comes after seven months of airstrikes, ground fighting and aid restrictions in Gaza that have claimed the lives of nearly 35,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

A presidential directive agreed to by the White House under pressure from congressional Democrats and others forced the administration to deliver a first-of-its-kind public verdict on whether Israel is using U.S.-provided bombs and other security support lawfully in its conflicts with Palestinians. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. military aid and America’s security partner for more than a half-century.

Axios first reported on the memorandum’s finding.

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