Trump rescinds order on rights abuses with US-supplied weapons

The Trump administration has rescinded a Biden-era order that required it to report potential violations of international law involving US-supplied weapons by allies including Israel, two US officials and a source familiar with the decision told Reuters.

The Washington Post first reported the decision, citing current and former officials, to scrap National Security Memorandum-20, which was signed by former President Joe Biden in February 2024 amid criticism over Israel's use of American bombs in its war in Gaza.

The memorandum required the US government to produce reports for Congress on the use of US arms by other countries. In May 2024, in a report required by the memorandum, Biden's administration said Israel may have breached international humanitarian law but that US officials were unable to identify specific instances of breaches that harmed civilians due to the chaos of war.

The Trump administration would have been required in the coming months to report to Congress its own assessment of Israel's conduct.