State Department says US reviewing reports of civilian harm by Israel

Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press conference on Tuesday that Washington is reviewing reports of whether Israel has harmed civilians in its war in Gaza.

That review is taking place under guidelines aimed at ensuring countries receiving American weapons do not violate international humanitarian law.

Miller said the State Department's Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance is being used to assess incidents in the current war.

The Biden administration has faced heavy criticism for continuing to supply weapons to Israel as allegations pile up that US weapons have been used in strikes that have killed or injured civilians. Israel is a large recipient of US arms and gets billions of dollars in military aid each year from Washington.

Israel's military has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, since October. Still, on Tuesday Biden urged the House of Representatives to quickly pass a funding bill that includes another $14bn in military assistance to Israel.