US has 'undeniable complicity' in Gaza war killings, say former US officials

A dozen former US government officials who quit over US support for Israel's war on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday accused 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.

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

"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 war to an end and to ensure the release of Israeli captives 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.

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

Reporting by Reuters