A man carries a body, covered with a blanket, as Palestinians conduct a search and rescue operation after the second bombardment of the Israeli army in the last 24 hours at Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza City, Gaza on November 01, 2023.

Recently declassified US intelligence has revealed that Israeli military lawyers had warned of evidence that could substantiate claims of war crimes against Israel in relation to its genocidal war in Gaza, according to five former US officials.

The Reuters news agency reported on Friday that this previously undisclosed information is cited as a significant finding that stirred concern among top US policymakers during the brutal Israeli war against the people of Gaza.

Two former officials indicated that this intelligence was not broadly circulated within the US government until late in the Biden administration, just before a congressional briefing in December 2024.

Israel`s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 68,875 Palestinians and wounded 170,679 since October 2023.

The findings heightened alarm in Washington regarding Israel`s genocidal war in Gaza. facts have surfaced that Israel was deliberately targeting civilians and humanitarian workers.

Amid growing civilian casualties in Gaza, US officials have voiced increasing apprehension about the potential violations of international legal standards regarding Israeli military operations. However, the specifics of the evidence cited by Israeli military lawyers have not been disclosed by the former US officials involved.

Reuters spoke to nine former US officials from the Biden administration, six of whom had direct knowledge of the intelligence discussions; all requested confidentiality due to the sensitive nature of the revelations.

The internal dissent concerning Israel`s genocidal war in Gaza became apparent during former President Biden`s tenure, shedding light on the intense debates among administration officials in the lead-up to President Donald Trump`s inauguration in January.

The intelligence findings prompted discussions at the National Security Council (NSC), where officials and legal experts deliberated on possible responses. A formal US determination of Israeli war crimes would necessitate the suspension of future arms shipments to Israel and halt intelligence sharing.

Discussions in December involved officials from the State Department, Pentagon, and intelligence community, with Biden receiving briefings from his national security team.

Despite inquiries into the matter, the White House did not respond to Reuters requests for comment, while a State Department spokesperson remarked, "We do not comment on intelligence matters."

US officials expressed concerns that the administration`s approach did not adequately confront the allegations of war crimes.

Former officials have voiced their dissatisfaction with the administration`s choice to uphold the status quo, advocating for a more assertive stance regarding Israel`s alleged misconduct and the US`s complicity in it.

Before this intelligence revelation, some State Department lawyers had raised alarms about Israel`s military conduct, suggesting it might violate international humanitarian law. However, discussions in December 2023 did not yield conclusive assessments to formally declare such violations.

The indecisiveness from the State Department`s legal bureau was reflected in a report issued during the Biden administration in May 2024, which acknowledged potential violations but refrained from making firm accusations due to the complexities inherent in wartime situations.

As international scrutiny regarding potential war crimes escalates, the International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others. Israel has refused to acknowledge the court`s jurisdiction.

As debates continue over US complicity in Israeli genocidal war, criticism has emerged from US political figures such as Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who highlighted a perceived pattern of negligence by the Biden administration.