Five Palestinian families filed a lawsuit against the US State Department on Tuesday, demanding enforcement of laws restricting military aid due to alleged human rights abuses in Israel.
The lawsuit challenges Washington’s multi-billion-dollar military support for Israel, invoking the Leahy Law, which prohibits security assistance to units implicated in credible allegations of human rights violations.
The families allege that the law has been ignored in Israel’s case, resulting in unchecked arms flows despite escalating violence in Gaza. The plaintiffs highlighted their tragedies during a press conference in Washington, citing civilian casualties and destruction attributed to US-supplied weaponry.
“My aunt and her six children were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City using American weapons,” said Palestinian-American plaintiff Said Assali. “Our families paid an unbearable price for the State Department’s refusal to enforce its laws.”
The war between Israel and Hamas, which began in October 2023 following Hamas’ attack that killed at least 1,208 people in Israel, has led to significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, 45,059 people, mostly civilians, have died in retaliatory Israeli strikes, a figure the United Nations considers credible.
Rights groups and former US officials have criticized the State Department for what they call an “Israel exception” in implementing the Leahy Law. “Israel operates under a different set of rules,” said Charles Blaha, a former State Department official. Another former official, Josh Paul, who resigned over US policy on Gaza, echoed this assessment.
The lawsuit comes amid increasing international scrutiny of Israel’s military actions. Earlier this month, Amnesty International accused Israel of “committing genocide” in Gaza. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes—allegations Israel’s government has strongly denied and appealed.
Ahmed Moor, another plaintiff, shared how his family in Gaza lives in fear of bombardment, with one relative already killed. “My family’s living a nightmare,” he said. “Their lives have been destroyed by American weapons in direct violation of American law.”
The State Department, which has 60 days to respond to the lawsuit, declined to comment on the case.
The plaintiffs and rights groups demand the immediate application of US laws to address what they call violations of human rights and international law, urging accountability for the use of American weapons in the conflict.
The lawsuit challenges Washington’s multi-billion-dollar military support for Israel, invoking the Leahy Law, which prohibits security assistance to units implicated in credible allegations of human rights violations.
The families allege that the law has been ignored in Israel’s case, resulting in unchecked arms flows despite escalating violence in Gaza. The plaintiffs highlighted their tragedies during a press conference in Washington, citing civilian casualties and destruction attributed to US-supplied weaponry.
“My aunt and her six children were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City using American weapons,” said Palestinian-American plaintiff Said Assali. “Our families paid an unbearable price for the State Department’s refusal to enforce its laws.”
The war between Israel and Hamas, which began in October 2023 following Hamas’ attack that killed at least 1,208 people in Israel, has led to significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, 45,059 people, mostly civilians, have died in retaliatory Israeli strikes, a figure the United Nations considers credible.
Rights groups and former US officials have criticized the State Department for what they call an “Israel exception” in implementing the Leahy Law. “Israel operates under a different set of rules,” said Charles Blaha, a former State Department official. Another former official, Josh Paul, who resigned over US policy on Gaza, echoed this assessment.
The lawsuit comes amid increasing international scrutiny of Israel’s military actions. Earlier this month, Amnesty International accused Israel of “committing genocide” in Gaza. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes—allegations Israel’s government has strongly denied and appealed.
Ahmed Moor, another plaintiff, shared how his family in Gaza lives in fear of bombardment, with one relative already killed. “My family’s living a nightmare,” he said. “Their lives have been destroyed by American weapons in direct violation of American law.”
The State Department, which has 60 days to respond to the lawsuit, declined to comment on the case.
The plaintiffs and rights groups demand the immediate application of US laws to address what they call violations of human rights and international law, urging accountability for the use of American weapons in the conflict.
