Trump Rescinds Order on Rights Abuses With US-Supplied Weapons

The Trump administration has rescinded a Biden-era order that required it to report potential violations of international law involving U.S.-supplied weapons by allies including Israel, two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the decision said on Monday.

The Washington Post first reported the decision, citing current and former officials, to scrap National Security Memorandum-20, which was signed by former President Joe Biden in February 2024 amid criticism over Israel's use of American bombs in its war in Gaza.

The memorandum required the U.S. government to produce reports for Congress on the use of U.S. arms by other countries. In May 2024, in a report required by the memorandum, Biden's administration said Israel may have breached international humanitarian law but that U.S. officials were unable to identify specific instances of breaches that harmed civilians due to the chaos of war.

The Trump administration would have been required in the coming months to report to Congress its own assessment of Israel's conduct.

The Washington Post cited an order issued by White House national security adviser Michael Waltz last week repealing NSM-20. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the existence of the order, but two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the move said they had been told the directive was revoked.

The State Department referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a key proponent of congressional oversight of U.S. arms sales, said the decision to revoke the memo was "shameful."

"It’s a disservice to our national security, to global human rights, and to our standing around the world," Van Hollen said in a statement.

NSM-20 applied to all countries involved in armed conflict that receive U.S. weapons, but sparked dissent among U.S. officials over whether Israel's assurances that it was using U.S.- supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law were credible or reliable.