US Soldiers Could Face Criminal Charges for Complicity in War on Gaza

By Staff, Agencies

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has raised serious concerns regarding the direct role of US military personnel in "Israel's" ongoing genocide in Gaza. The organization warns that individuals in the US military who assist in operations that violate international humanitarian law could face prosecution for war crimes.

While most criticism of US involvement has focused on the transfer of weapons to "Israel", HRW highlights another dimension, operational and intelligence collaboration.

The US has not only supplied vast quantities of arms, approximately $17.9 billion, but has also actively participated in intelligence sharing and strategic military planning.

Omar Shakir, HRW's director for "Israel" and Palestine, told The Guardian that US involvement has moved "beyond complicity" to direct participation.

He emphasized that US personnel embedded in operational planning or intelligence roles could be individually liable if their contributions aided war crimes.

The extent of US involvement remains classified, but both current and former administrations have publicly acknowledged cooperation.

In October 2024, former President Joe Biden confirmed that US special operations forces and intelligence personnel assisted in assassinating Hamas leaders, including the martyred leader Yahya al-Sinwar.

More recently, Trump administration officials revealed they were consulted by "Israel" before a deadly March 18 operation that resulted in the martyrdom of over 400 Palestinians.

International law experts affirm that aiding or abetting a war crime is in itself a prosecutable offense.

In an interview for The Guardian, Janina Dill of Oxford University noted that even if the US is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court (ICC) holds jurisdiction over crimes committed in Gaza.

Countries with universal jurisdiction, such as Germany and Belgium, could also pursue cases against US personnel.

Past parallels, such as US assistance in the Saudi-led coalition's war on Yemen, underscore the risks.

Though US forces did not directly bomb Yemen, their support through refueling and logistics was instrumental and widely condemned for enabling civilian deaths.