The Trump administration has revoked a Biden-era policy that required the US government to report potential violations of international law by allies using American weapons, including Israel, according to US officials.
The policy, National Security Memorandum-20 (NSM-20), was signed by President Joe Biden in February 2024 amid concerns over Israel’s use of US bombs in Gaza. It mandated written commitments from foreign recipients of US arms to adhere to international law and required the State Department to report violations to Congress.
A May 2024 report under NSM-20 found Israel may have breached humanitarian law but lacked specific evidence due to wartime chaos. The Trump administration would have been required to submit its own assessment in the coming months, but White House national security adviser Michael Waltz repealed the directive on February 21.
The State Department declined to comment, and the White House has not yet responded.
Senator Chris Van Hollen condemned the decision, calling it “shameful” and a setback for US national security and global human rights. He accused Trump of disregarding American values and undermining taxpayer oversight of military aid.
While NSM-20 applied to all US-armed nations in conflict, it drew controversy over whether Israel’s assurances of compliance with humanitarian law were credible. Trump, who returned to office on January 20, has ordered a review of all Biden-era national security policies.
