Lawyers at the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have written to US attorney general Merrick Garland, urging him to investigate Israel for potential war crimes in Gaza as well as the killings of American citizens in the West Bank.

“US courts‬‭ have‬‭ jurisdiction‬‭ over‬‭ the‬‭ more‬‭ than‬‭ 23,000‬‭ US citizens‬‭ currently‬‭ serving‬‭ in‬‭ Israel’s‬‭ armed‬‭ forces,‬‭ along‬‭ with‬‭ IDF‬‭ members‬‭ or‬‭ other‬‭ Israeli‬ officials‬‭ that‬‭ travel‬‭ to‬‭ the‬‭ United‬‭ States,” the unnamed lawyers wrote to Garland, as revealed by Zeteo on Monday.

The DOJ has investigated and brought about sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine, and the Palestinian group Hamas, but it has yet to do the same when it comes to Israel and its war on Gaza - which was pointed out by the authors of the letter.

The DOJ, they added, “‬‭has‬‭ appropriately‬‭ demonstrated‬‭ its‬‭ commitment‬‭ to‬‭ upholding‬‭ the‬‭ rule‬‭ of‬‭ law‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ midst‬‭ of‬‭ ongoing‬ geopolitical‬‭ conflicts”, but that “against‬‭ the‬‭ backdrop‬‭ of‬‭ numerous‬‭ potential‬‭ violations‬‭ of‬‭ US‬‭ law‬‭ by‬‭ individuals‬‭ and‬‭ entities‬‭ affiliated‬‭ with‬‭ Israel,‬‭ the‬‭ Department’s‬‭ silence‬‭ and‬‭ apparent‬‭ inaction‬‭ is‬‭ a‬‭ stark‬‭ omission‬”.