Gilbert, a subject matter expert with over 20 years of experience, had contributed to the report but disagreed with its final conclusions.
A US State Department official, Stacy Gilbert, has resigned in disagreement with a recent report to Congress on the situation in Gaza.
Gilbert, a subject matter expert with over 20 years of experience, had contributed to the report but disagreed with its final conclusions.
According to Reuters, she stated that the report incorrectly asserted that Israel was not obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The United Nations and aid organizations have long expressed concerns about the challenges and dangers of delivering aid to Gaza.
The report, submitted to Congress earlier this month, concluded that while Israel did not fully cooperate with efforts to deliver humanitarian aid, this did not constitute a breach of US law.
Gilbert, who served in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, disagreed with this assessment and felt that the report did not accurately reflect the situation on the ground.
According to Gilbert, the State Department sidelined subject matter experts from contributing to the report to Congress when it was still in its draft stage, about 10 days before the deadline. She claimed that subsequently, more senior officials took over the editing process, which resulted in significant changes to the report's content.
Gilbert said the last draft she saw stated that Israel was blocking humanitarian assistance contrary to the conclusion reached in the published version.
"There is so clearly a right and wrong, and what is in that report is wrong," Gilbert said in an interview.
Gilbert is not the first official to resign over the US administration's policy on Israel.
Arabic language spokesperson Hala Rharrit and Annelle Sheline of the Human Rights Bureau have also resigned in recent months.
The conflict in Gaza has resulted in a significant humanitarian crisis, with over 36,000 Palestinians killed and a large-scale displacement of people.
The US administration has faced criticism for its support of Israel and its response to the crisis.
The State Department has stated that it welcomes diverse perspectives and stands by the report's conclusions. The Israeli embassy in Washington has not commented on Gilbert's resignation or her accusations.
The conflict in Gaza has resulted in a significant humanitarian toll, with over 36,000 Palestinians reported killed. The hostilities began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an attack from Gaza into southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of over 250 others, according to official Israeli accounts.