US held back intelligence from ‘Israel’ during Biden era: Reuters

• US intelligence temporarily suspended sharing certain key information with ‘Israel’ in late 2024, including a live drone video feed over Gaza and restrictions on targeting intelligence, due to concerns over ‘Israel's’ conduct in the assault.
• The suspension was prompted by US concerns about high civilian casualties, the potential mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, and ‘Israel's’ failure to provide sufficient assurances that it would adhere to US laws of war when utilizing the shared intelligence.

US intelligence officials temporarily suspended sharing certain key information with ‘Israel’ during the Biden administration due to concerns over ‘Israel's’ conduct in the assault on Gaza, according to six individuals familiar with the matter speaking to Reuters.

This decision, which occurred in the second half of 2024, involved cutting off a live video feed from a US drone over Gaza that 'Israel' had been using to locate captives and track Hamas fighters.

Additionally, restrictions were placed on ‘Israel's’ use of specific intelligence for pursuing high-value military targets.

The suspension of the drone feed lasted at least several days, marking a rare interruption in the otherwise robust intelligence partnership between the two allies.

The primary reasons stemmed from escalating worries within the US intelligence community about civilian casualties resulting from ‘Israel's’ assault on Gaza, where over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed according to Gaza health authorities.

Officials also expressed concerns regarding the treatment of Palestinian detainees by ‘Israel's’ Shin Bet security agency, based on intelligence reports suggesting potential mistreatment.

Furthermore, ‘Israel’ had not provided sufficient assurances that it would adhere to the laws of war when utilizing US-provided information, a requirement under US law for foreign intelligence sharing.

This withholding was described as limited and tactical, with US intelligence officials possessing the authority to make such real-time decisions without direct White House involvement.

The move followed an initial expansion of intelligence sharing authorized by then-President Biden after the events of October 7, 2023, which included providing live drone feeds to support efforts of recovering ‘Israeli’ captives.

"No War Crimes" 

Despite internal assessments raising questions about war crimes by ‘Israel’, Biden administration lawyers concluded that ‘Israel’ had not violated international law.

Intelligence sharing resumed after ‘Israel’ offered the necessary assurances regarding compliance with US rules on human rights and the law of war.

In late 2024, senior US officials proposed a more formal cessation of certain intelligence flows, but Biden opted against it, anticipating that the incoming Trump administration would likely restore full cooperation.