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The annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices from the State Department brought Israel into focus, highlighting concerns over its efforts to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza on the report’s opening page, typically reserved for the most serious human rights violators.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the report’s preface, addressed the human rights issues arising from the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, prioritizing it over concerns regarding Iran or the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Blinken stressed the United States’ stance that Israel must adhere to international law and take all possible measures to protect civilians, with ongoing concerns raised urgently about civilian casualties during the conflict.
The report also highlighted concerns regarding humanitarian aid access, civilian displacement, and a high number of journalist deaths in Gaza, with Israel’s mention preceding discussions of human rights abuses in Iran and the mistreatment of women and girls by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Hamas was mentioned in the same paragraph as Israel, with condemnation of their attacks, including gender-based and sexual violence.
Blinken reiterated the concerns over Israel’s civilian precautions and condemned Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields during a press conference following the report’s release.
A State Department official clarified that the report does not rank countries against each other but discusses global human rights issues.
