The Biden administration may miss a Wednesday deadline to deliver a report to Congress detailing its assessment of Israeli actions in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
The report examines whether Israel has violated international humanitarian law or hindered the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
The report, mandated by a national security memorandum issued by President Joe Biden in February, could limit U.S. arms transfers to Israel, The Hill reported.
Biden's memo was issued amid pressure from Senate Democrats to hold Israel accountable for allegations of international humanitarian law violations in the war.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Tuesday the report "is not yet finished" and that the administration will work to deliver it to Congress "as soon as possible."
"We are trying very hard to meet that deadline. It is, I will just note, a self-imposed deadline. It's not one that is in statute, but we are trying very hard to get the report done," Miller said at the State Department briefing Tuesday. "It is a complicated report.
"This is the first time the department has ever written something like this, first time we've ever gone through and made these kind of assessments about the two questions that are at issue in the report. So there is a lot of work that has to be done; that work is ongoing. We know we're up against a deadline.
"We're trying to get it – we're trying to meet it. It's possible it slips just a little bit, but we are still, at this point, trying to get it done by tomorrow [Wednesday]."
Federal law requires the U.S. assess foreign governments receiving U.S.-made weapons and military support. Discovery that they are being used in violation of international law would mean consequences.
Miller indicated Biden's national security memo provided a new and higher standard.
"We have ongoing assessments that are being made, and in the middle of that process we are … stopping in the middle of that and making assessments about or answering questions about Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law as well as the delivery of humanitarian assistance," he said.
The Biden administration on Tuesday night confirmed reports that it had held up a munitions shipment to Israel, Jewish News Syndicate reported.
Axios reported Sunday that two Israeli officials said the administration put a hold on a shipment of U.S.-made ammunition.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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