US Democratic Party lawmakers said in a letter to President Joe Biden that they believe there is sufficient evidence to prove that Israel violated US law by restricting the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza Strip.

The letter, signed by 86 House Democrats, said Israel's restrictions on aid "raise doubt" on its assertions that it is complying with a provision in the US Foreign Assistance Act that requires recipients of US-financed weapons to respect international humanitarian law and allow the free flow of US aid. .

In February, Biden issued a national security memorandum requiring written guarantees after Democratic lawmakers began to question the extent of Israel's compliance with international law in its operations in Gaza.

The lawmakers said the Israeli government had resisted repeated US requests to open enough sea and land routes to deliver aid to Gaza, citing reports that it had not let in enough food to avert famine, and imposed a regime of inspections and “arbitrary restrictions” on aid that hindered supplies.

“We expect the administration to ensure that Israel adheres to existing law and takes all possible steps to prevent further humanitarian disasters in Gaza,” the lawmakers wrote.

The memo issued by Biden in February requires Secretary of State Antony Blinken to report to Congress by Wednesday on whether there are credible assurances from Israel that its use of US weapons complies with international law.

At least four State Department offices told Secretary Blinken last month that they found Israeli assertions “not credible and unreliable.”

If Israel's guarantees are called into question, Biden will have the option of "addressing" the situation through actions ranging from seeking new guarantees to suspending US arms transfers, according to the memo.

(Reuters) + Sama