The US State Department on Friday released a report suggesting Israel “may” have violated international humanitarian law in its use of American-supplied weapons during its war against Hamas.

“Given Israel’s significant reliance on U.S.-made defense articles, it is reasonable to assess that defense articles covered under NSM-20 have been used by Israeli security forces since October 7 in instances inconsistent with its IHL obligations or with established best practices for mitigating civilian harm,” the report states.

Despite expressing concern over high civilian casualties, the report stopped short of definitively concluding that the IDF had breached international law. It acknowledged Israel’s “extraordinary military challenge” in confronting Hamas, which “uses civilian infrastructure for military purposes and civilians as human shields.”

The State Department also recognized the extraordinary steps Israel has taken to mitigate risks to civilians when conducting military operations in Gaza. Examples provided include issuing advance warnings before strikes, employing strategies to determine targets, and implementing restrictive measures to protect sites such as hospitals and schools.