US Officials Who Have Resigned in Protest over Biden’s Gaza Policy

Destroyed buildings seen as the Israeli army issues an evacuation order, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 02 July 2024.  (EPA)
Destroyed buildings seen as the Israeli army issues an evacuation order, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 02 July 2024. (EPA)
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US Officials Who Have Resigned in Protest over Biden’s Gaza Policy

Destroyed buildings seen as the Israeli army issues an evacuation order, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 02 July 2024.  (EPA)
Destroyed buildings seen as the Israeli army issues an evacuation order, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 02 July 2024. (EPA)

President Joe Biden's support for Israel during its nearly nine-month war in Gaza has spurred a dozen US administration officials to quit, with some accusing him of turning a blind eye to Israeli atrocities in the Palestinian enclave.

The Biden administration denies this, pointing to its criticism of civilian casualties in Gaza and its efforts to boost humanitarian aid to the enclave, where health officials say nearly 38,000 have been killed in Israel's assault which has also led to widespread hunger.

Israel launched its offensive in Gaza after Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Here are the US officials who have resigned:

Maryam Hassanein, who was a special assistant at the Department of Interior, quit her job on Tuesday. She slammed Biden's foreign policy, describing it as "genocide-enabling" and dehumanizing toward Arabs and Muslims. Israel denies genocide allegations.

Mohammed Abu Hashem, a Palestinian American, said last month he ended a 22-year career in the US Air Force. He said he lost relatives in Gaza in the ongoing war, including an aunt killed in an Israeli air strike in October.

Riley Livermore, who was a US Air Force engineer, said in mid-June that he was leaving his role. "I don't want to be working on something that can turn around and be used to slaughter innocent people," he told the Intercept news website.

Stacy Gilbert, who served in the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, left in late May. She said she resigned over an administration report to Congress that she said falsely stated Israel was not blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Alexander Smith, a contractor for USAID, quit in late May, alleging censorship after the US foreign aid agency canceled publication of his presentation on maternal and child mortality among Palestinians. The agency said it had not gone through proper review and approval.

Lily Greenberg Call, a Jewish political appointee, resigned in May, having served as a special assistant to the chief of staff in the Interior Department. "As a Jew, I cannot endorse the Gaza catastrophe," she wrote in the Guardian.

Anna Del Castillo, a deputy director at the White House's Office of Management and Budget, departed in April and became the first known White House official to leave the administration over policy toward Gaza.

Hala Rharrit, an Arabic language spokesperson for the State Department, departed her post in April in opposition to the United States' Gaza policy, she wrote on her LinkedIn page.

Annelle Sheline resigned from the State Department's human rights bureau in late March, writing in a CNN article that she was unable to serve a government that "enables such atrocities."

Tariq Habash, a Palestinian American, quit as special assistant in the Education Department's office of planning in January. He said the Biden administration was turning a "blind eye" to atrocities in Gaza.

Harrison Mann, a US Army major and Defense Intelligence Agency official, resigned in November over Gaza policy and went public with his reasons in May.

Josh Paul, director of the State Department's bureau of political military affairs, left in October in the first publicly known resignation, citing what he described as Washington's "blind support" for Israel.



Hezbollah’s Drones: A Key Gamble in the War with Israel

A photo released by Israeli media shows damage to Netanyahu’s house window
A photo released by Israeli media shows damage to Netanyahu’s house window
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Hezbollah’s Drones: A Key Gamble in the War with Israel

A photo released by Israeli media shows damage to Netanyahu’s house window
A photo released by Israeli media shows damage to Netanyahu’s house window

Drones have become Hezbollah's main weapon in its war with Israel. Their importance lies not just in hitting targets, but in some drones’ ability to avoid detection by radar and the Iron Dome defense system.

In contrast, Israel has successfully intercepted most missiles before they reach their targets, according to the Israeli military.

From September 17 to late October, 76 drone launches were recorded, with over 170 drones of different sizes, some reaching up to 145 kilometers into southern Tel Aviv's outskirts.

Israeli media reported that more than 1,200 explosive drones have entered Israel since Hezbollah’s northern offensive last year. The Israeli security forces are still struggling to respond to this “deadly threat.”

Hezbollah has a large fleet of drones, with various types for different tasks. Military expert Brig. Gen. Khalil Helou explains that all of Hezbollah’s drones are Iranian-made, designed for long distances.

They were brought into Lebanon in parts, then assembled and modified to suit the needs of their operations near Israel.

Helou told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah uses three types of drones.

The first type is the small Hudhud reconnaissance drone, measuring 3.5 meters long with a 5-meter wingspan. It flies at low altitudes, up to 100 kilometers, which allows it to reach Tel Aviv.

The Hudhud is equipped with cameras and data storage and can be programmed to fly over target sites and return to its base in Lebanon. It can also be controlled remotely to adjust its mission.

Helou added that these drones are launched from special airports in Jezzine (southern Lebanon) and Hermel (northern Bekaa), as well as similar facilities in Syria. The drones are wheeled and require runways for takeoff and landing.

This week, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that many drones, especially those used for intelligence, managed to reach Haifa and even go beyond without being detected by Israel’s alert systems while crossing from Lebanon.

The Israeli Air Force did not attempt to intercept them.

Israeli research centers believe the Hudhud drones, recently used to monitor sites in Israel, are among the newest models. These electric drones are silent, have no thermal signature, and can fly up to 70 kilometers per hour.

They can take off and land vertically without a runway and are equipped with high-quality cameras that transmit live footage. Their small size and short radar waves make them hard to detect and track.

Hezbollah has previously released videos showing Hudhud drones filming strategic locations in Haifa, Tel Aviv, and other areas, adding them to a “target bank” for attack drones.