State Department Memo Accuses Biden of ‘Spreading Misinformation’ on Gaza War

Palestinians in shock at Khan Yunis Hospital in southern Gaza after Israeli strikes on Monday. (Reuters)
Palestinians in shock at Khan Yunis Hospital in southern Gaza after Israeli strikes on Monday. (Reuters)
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State Department Memo Accuses Biden of ‘Spreading Misinformation’ on Gaza War

Palestinians in shock at Khan Yunis Hospital in southern Gaza after Israeli strikes on Monday. (Reuters)
Palestinians in shock at Khan Yunis Hospital in southern Gaza after Israeli strikes on Monday. (Reuters)

A memo signed by 100 State Department and USAID employees accused US President Joe Biden of "spreading misinformation" on the Israel-Hamas war and said that Israel is committing "war crimes" in Gaza, according to a copy obtained by Axios.

According to Arab World Press, the memo said that "we strongly recommend that the US government advocate for the release of hostages by both Hamas and Israel" — citing the "thousands" of Palestinians being held in Israel, including those "without charge."

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs had prepared a report through which it confirmed the commitment to international law.

The army command said that it has a legal department in the military prosecution, whose task is to approve every Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip and to ensure that it complies with international law.

The government’s legal advisor, Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, sets broad lines for the government to guarantee that it doesn’t violate international law.

One of the prominent stances of the judicial departments is that the war was imposed on Israel, and it is a defense war. The narrative adds that the targeting of civilians is happening because Hamas is using them as human shields.

But the Israeli judicial advisors call on the government not to be reassured by this narrative.

Avichai Mandelblit, the former attorney general of Israel, said that Israel should be more cautious and the fact that Hamas committed war crimes doesn’t necessarily mean that Israel responds the same way.



Russian Attack Wounds Three in Ukraine's Sumy Region

Servicemen of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade 'Khartiia' of the National Guard of Ukraine fire an OTO Melara howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 3, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova
Servicemen of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade 'Khartiia' of the National Guard of Ukraine fire an OTO Melara howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 3, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova
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Russian Attack Wounds Three in Ukraine's Sumy Region

Servicemen of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade 'Khartiia' of the National Guard of Ukraine fire an OTO Melara howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 3, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova
Servicemen of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade 'Khartiia' of the National Guard of Ukraine fire an OTO Melara howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine January 3, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova

At least three people, including two children, were wounded in a Russian attack on the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine on Saturday, local authorities said.
Sumy region borders Russia's Kursk region and has been regularly shelled by Russian forces for months.
"Russians dropped a bomb on a residential building. Two children and one adult were injured. One entrance of the apartment building was destroyed," Sumy military administration said on the Telegram messenger.
A rescue operation was under way to find people who may be trapped by rubble, officials said. Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, did not immediately comment on the events in Sumy.
Russia's defense ministry said on Saturday that Russian forces had taken control of the village of Nadiya in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region and had shot down eight US-made ATACMS missiles.
Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield reports.
The ministry said its air defense systems had shot down 10 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory on Saturday morning, including three over the northern Leningrad region.
St. Petersburg's Pulkovo airport temporarily halted flight arrivals and departures on Saturday morning.