A wave of dissent has swept through the U.S. State Department and other federal agencies, with at least 13 officials publicly resigning in protest against Washington’s unwavering support for Israel during the Gaza conflict. Critics argue that current policies contradict American values and compromise national security. Among those who resigned was Josh Paul, a former State Department official responsible for approving arms deals, who stepped down shortly after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which escalated into a conflict reportedly claiming over 70,000 lives in Gaza, according to The Lancet.
Since the conflict began, the U.S. has delivered $18 billion in military aid to Israel, mostly in taxpayer-funded weapons and fighter jets. Paul, who spent over a decade at the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, highlighted the direct connection between U.S. weapons and Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. He criticized the lack of debate on arms approvals, describing them as directives from top government officials, including the President and Secretary of State, to expedite Israel’s requests for munitions, including 2,000-pound bombs typically used for large-scale destruction.
The U.S.-made bombs have contributed to high civilian casualties, including a strike in Gaza City targeting a Hamas tunnel that reportedly killed more than 100 people, 81 of whom were women and children, according to Airwars, a civilian harm monitoring group. The mounting death toll and the visible role of American weapons in the conflict have raised questions about the moral and strategic implications of U.S. support for Israel in the ongoing war.
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