As Israel’s offensive has intensified, how and where Israel uses weapons from the US has come under more scrutiny, even though US officials say there are no plans to put conditions on military aid to Israel or to consider withholding some of it, Reuters reports.
Washington found images circulating on social media showing Palestinian men detained in Gaza in their underwear “deeply disturbing” and asked Israel to clarify the circumstances around the photographs, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
Israel has said the men were stripped to make sure they were not hiding explosives or weapons.
The White House also said on Monday it was concerned about reports Israel used US-supplied white phosphorus munitions in an October attack in southern Lebanon and was seeking more information.
The munitions, which can be legally used on battlefields to make smoke screens among other uses, can cause serious burns. Israel said an allegation by Human Rights Watch that it uses white phosphorus munitions in Gaza and Lebanon was “unequivocally false”.
