WASHINGTON: The war between Israel and Hamas that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis has had “a significant negative impact” on the human rights situation in the country, the U.S. State Department said in its annual report on Monday.

Significant human rights issues include credible reports ofarbitrary or unlawful killings, enforced disappearance, tortureand unjustified arrests of journalists among others, said theState Department’s 2023 Country Reports on Human RightsPractices.

The report added that the Israeli government has taken somecredible steps to identify and punish the officials who may havebeen involved in those abuses.

Israel’s military conduct has come under increasing scrutinyas its forces have killed 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, accordingto the enclave’s health authorities, many of them civilians andchildren. The Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip has been reduced to awasteland, and extreme food shortages have prompted fears offamine.

Day 98 of war: Gaza: Dozens die in Israel strikes

Israel launched its assault in response to a Hamas attack onOct. 7, in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed.

Rights groups have flagged numerous incidents of civilianharm during the Israeli army’s offensive in Gaza, as well asraised alarm about rising violence in the Israeli-occupied WestBank, where Palestinian Health Ministry records show Israeliforces or settlers have killed at least 460 Palestinians sinceOct. 7. But so far the Biden administration has said it has notfound Israel in breach of international law.

Washington gives $3.8 billion in annual military assistanceto its longtime ally. Leftist Democrats and Arab American groupshave criticized the Biden administration’s steadfast support forIsrael, which they say provides it with a sense of impunity.

But this month, President Joe Biden for the first timethreatened to condition support for Israel, and insisted that ittake concrete steps to protect humanitarian aid workers andcivilians.