Palestinian families drag US govt. to court over military aid to Israel
The tips of 155mm artillery shells are pictured near a self-propelled howitzer deployed at a position near the border with Lebanon in northern Israel on Oct. 18, 2023. Photo: Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images
Five Palestinian families have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. State Department, demanding the enforcement of U.S. laws to halt military aid to Israel over alleged human rights abuses.
The plaintiffs cite the Leahy Law, which prohibits security assistance to military units accused of credible human rights violations, claiming Israel has been unlawfully exempted.
Since October 2023, the U.S. has allocated over $12.5 billion in military aid to Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas.
The conflict began after a Hamas attack killed 1,208 people in Israel, including hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed over 45,000 people, largely civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, figures corroborated by the UN.
At a Washington press conference, Palestinian-American plaintiff Said Assali alleged that U.S.-supplied weapons were used in an airstrike that killed his aunt and her six children in Gaza. “Our families paid an unbearable price for the State Department’s refusal to enforce its own laws,” he said.
Former State Department officials Charles Blaha and Josh Paul criticized what they described as an “Israel exception” in U.S. policy, alleging leniency in applying the Leahy Law to Israeli military actions.
The State Department has not commented on the lawsuit. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have accused Israel of genocide, while the ICC has issued warrants for Israeli leaders over alleged war crimes. Israel denies these allegations and has appealed the warrants.
