WASHINGTON – The US is examining allegations of human rights and international law violations in Gaza and will not apply a double standard, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was quoted by CNBC as saying.
“Do we have a double standard? The answer is no,” Blinken said in response to questions about the Biden administration’s handling of allegations of abuses by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Blinken spoke as the State Department released its 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which he called “a factual, systematic account of human rights records” around the world. The document contains a section on Israel and its treatment of the Palestinians.
“We apply the same standard to everyone,” Blinken said. “And that doesn’t change whether the country in question is an adversary, a competitor, a friend or an ally.”
The secretary said the administration would make its own determinations regarding potential violations in Gaza.
He pointed to “many open investigations based on reports that have come forward with allegations about abuses of human rights or abuse of international humanitarian law, laws of war, et cetera.”
