US has no Palestine policy, follows Israel's lead — former official

A former senior State Department official accused the US of lacking a policy on Palestine, adding that its actions are largely based on Israeli preferences.

Mike Casey, who resigned as deputy political counsellor in Gaza in July, voiced criticisms in an interview with The Guardian newspaper on Wednesday.

"We don't have a policy on Palestine. We just do what the Israelis want us to do," he said.

The army veteran with more than a decade of diplomatic experience served in Jerusalem starting in 2020. His role involved documenting the humanitarian crisis in besieged Gaza and crafting policy proposals related to Gaza.

He said the Biden administration repeatedly dismissed US-led plans in favour of Israeli suggestions, some of which he described as "deliberately destructive."

"Every idea we came up with, (the Biden administration) would just say, 'Well, the Israelis have another idea," he said.

"We wrote numerous reports and cables explaining why this wouldn't work... It's not in our interest to have warlords running Gaza."

Casey's frustrations deepened as he reported on the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He described the psychological toll of documenting civilian casualties, including children, and watching his reports ignored in Washington.

"I got so tired of writing about dead kids," he said. "Just constantly having to prove to Washington that these children actually died and then watching nothing happen."

State Department's response

Casey also expressed disappointment with President Joe Biden's public questioning of Palestinian casualty figures, some of which Casey had directly documented.

The State Department, in response to Casey's claims, emphasised its commitment to international humanitarian law and preventing civilian harm.

"We've repeatedly said that Israel must not only comply with international humanitarian law but must also take every feasible step to prevent civilian harm – this is a moral and strategic imperative," a State Department spokesperson was quoted.

Casey's resignation is part of a broader wave of discontent among US officials about the Biden administration's Israel-Palestine policy, including other high-profile departures in the past year.

Twelve former US government officials who resigned because of Gaza, released a statement in July that said the administration's policy is a "failure and a threat to US national security."

"America's diplomatic cover for, and continuous flow of arms to, Israel has ensured our undeniable complicity in the killings and forced starvation of a besieged Palestinian population in Gaza," it said.

Israeli carnage

Israel has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in its carnage so far in the blockaded enclave.

In its carnage, Israel caused a massive shortage of basic necessities, including food, water, electricity and medicine, while also displacing almost the entire population of the enclave.

Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.