US' Blinken To Report On Gaza Conduct As GOP Criticises Withholding Arms

Overnight, Axios reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken could, as soon as today, submit a report to Congress on Israel's conduct in Gaza. While the report is set to prove critical of the IDF's operations and tactics, it is seen as unlikely to conclude that Israel has broken the terms of agreement for its use of US weapons in its offensive.

• Axios: "In recent months, the State Department has been engaged in an internal process to prepare the politically sensitive report required under a new national security memorandum issued in February by President Biden. The State Department is reviewing the use of weapons by Israel and six other countries engaged in different armed conflicts. If a country is determined to have violated international humanitarian law or impeded the delivery of U.S.-supported humanitarian aid, it could lead to suspension of U.S. military aid."
• US President Joe Biden's comments this week, stating that the US would withhold suppliesof some heavy ordnance if Israel conducts a mass ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, have not only led to reaction from the Israeli gov't, but domestically as well.
• Congressional Republicans have criticisedthe national security memorandum, calling it a "redundant requirement that adds unnecessary bureaucracy and contributes to frustration from the partners and allies that count on U.S. security assistance." They have also called out Biden for the potential withholding of weapons, with Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) statingthat “We should not be telling them how to protect themselves,”.