US intelligence officials temporarily suspended sharing crucial data with Israel during the Biden administration. The decision was due to growing concerns about the conduct of Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to six people familiar with the matter, Reuters reported this Friday, December 12.
In the second half of 2024, the US cut off access to a live video stream (feed) of a North American drone flying over the Gaza Strip. These images, according to the US agency, were being used by the Israeli government in its search for hostages and Hamas militants. Reuters has exclusively five sources who guarantee that this suspension continued for at least a few days.
In addition to cropping the images, Washington imposed restrictions on how Israel could use certain classified information in pursuing “high-value” military targets in Gaza, said two of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Human rights concerns
The decision came at a time when concerns were intensifying in the US intelligence community regarding the high number of civilians killed in Israeli operations. There were also fears that the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, was mistreating Palestinian prisoners.
Three sources told Reuters that US officials were concerned about the lack of sufficient guarantees from Israel that the information provided would be used in accordance with the laws of war. US law requires intelligence agencies to receive such assurances before sharing data with a foreign country.
Although the Biden administration has maintained a general policy of continued support for Israel, both in terms of intelligence and weapons, this internal agency decision has been described as “limited and tactical.” The objective was to ensure that the use of American information respected international legality. The partition was resumed as soon as Israel provided the necessary guarantees.
A spokesperson for former President Joe Biden did not respond to requests for comment sent by Reuters and it was not possible to determine whether he had direct knowledge of these tactical decisions.
On the Israeli side, the military press office did not directly address the suspensions, stating only that “strategic information cooperation continued throughout the war.” The Israeli prime minister’s office, which oversees the Shin Bet, did not respond to requests for comment.