US briefly withheld some intel from Israel during Biden administration — sources |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — US intelligence officials temporarily suspended sharing some key information with Israel during the Biden administration over concerns about its conduct of the war in Gaza, according to six people familiar with the matter.
In the second half of 2024, the US cut off a live video feed from a US drone over Gaza, which was being used by the Israeli government in its hunt for hostages and Hamas terrorists. The suspension lasted for at least a few days, said five of the sources.
The US also restricted how Israel could use certain intelligence in its pursuit of high-value military targets in Gaza, said two of the sources, who declined to specify when this decision was taken.
All of the sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss US intelligence.
The decision came as worries intensified in the US intelligence community about the number of civilians killed in Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Officials were also concerned that Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency, was mistreating Palestinian prisoners, the sources said.
Officials were concerned that Israel had not provided sufficient assurances that it would abide by the law of war when using American information, according to three of the sources. Under US law, intelligence agencies must receive such assurances before sharing information with a foreign country.
While the Biden administration maintained a policy of continuous support of Israel with both intelligence and weapons sharing, the decision inside the intelligence agencies to withhold information was limited and tactical, said two of the sources. The officials sought to ensure that Israel was using American intelligence in accordance with the law of war, said the sources.
One person familiar with the matter said intelligence officials have latitude to make some intelligence-sharing decisions in real time without an order from the White House. Another person familiar with the matter said any requests by Israel to change how it uses US intelligence required new assurances about how it would use the information.
Reuters could not determine the dates of the decisions or if president Joe Biden was aware of them. A spokesperson for Biden did not respond to a request for comment.
The intelligence sharing resumed after Israel provided assurances that it........