US has 'undeniable complicity' in killings: Former officials

WASHINGTON — A dozen former US government officials who quit over US support for Israel's fighting in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday accused US President Joe Biden's administration of "undeniable complicity" in the killing of Palestinians in the enclave.

In a joint statement, the 12 former government officials said the administration was violating US laws through its support for Israel and finding loopholes to continue shipping weapons to its ally.

Both the White House and the State Department had no immediate comment on the statement.

There has been mounting international criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza and of US military and diplomatic support for its ally in a conflict that has so far killed nearly 38,000 people and created a humanitarian crisis.

The resignations of the 12 officials reflect some dissent within the government over its support for Israel. Washington has pushed for the protection of civilians in Gaza and has called on Israel to improve aid access.

Among the people who signed the joint statement were former members of the State Department, Education Department, Interior Department, White House and the military.

Maryam Hassanein, who was a special assistant at the Department of Interior, quit her job on Tuesday. She slammed Biden's foreign policy, describing it as "genocide-enabling" and dehumanizing toward Arabs. Israel denies genocide allegations.

Mohammed Abu Hashem, a Palestinian American, said last month he ended a 22-year career in the US Air Force.

Continuous flow of arms

"America's diplomatic cover for, and continuous flow of arms to, Israel has ensured our undeniable complicity in the killings and forced starvation of a besieged Palestinian population in Gaza," the former officials said in the statement.

They urged the US government to use its "necessary and available leverage" to bring the conflict to an end and to ensure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. They also demanded that the US government support Palestinian self-determination and fund an "immediate expansion of humanitarian assistance" in Gaza.

Nearly 38,000 people have been killed during the conflict in Gaza, the local health ministry says, with many more feared buried in rubble as nearly the entire enclave has been flattened and most of its population displaced. There is also widespread hunger in Gaza.

Agencies via Xinhua