State Dept. Raises Concerns About Israel's Use of U.S.-Made Arms

WASHINGTON, July 24 — A senior State Department official said today that Israel could face "consequences," including possible sanctions on arms sales, if it improperly used American-made weapons during attacks on Palestinian targets.

Richard A. Boucher, the State Department spokesman, said the United States was closely monitoring Israeli actions to ensure they did not violate the Arms Export Control Act, which requires that military items sold by the United States be used solely for "internal security and legitimate self defense."

"We've made quite clear that we're seriously concerned about some of the Israeli tactics, some of the Israeli actions, including targeted killings and actions like this that endanger civilians," Mr. Boucher told reporters today.

"So we continue to watch and monitor Israeli actions very carefully, and we urge Israel to consider consequences of actions such as these."

His remarks were prompted by reports that the Israeli military used an American-made F-16 fighter jet to drop a laser-guided bomb into a densely packed neighborhood in Gaza City on Tuesday, killing a Hamas leader and 14 civilians.

The Bush administration condemned the attack as "heavy handed" and asserted that Israel was aware that noncombatants were in the building at the time.

The arms control act requires the State Department to report to Congress when there is a "substantial violation" of the law, Mr. Boucher said. He said no such report had been issued "since the current violence began."

On Tuesday, Mr. Boucher was asked repeatedly by reporters to describe the kinds of specific Israeli actions that might lead to a report. But he declined to explain what those actions might be, saying, "It's an object of ongoing review."

The law authorizes the government to suspend military aid to countries that violate the Arms Export Control Act. In 1982, for instance, the Reagan administration suspended deliveries of cluster bombs to Israel after concluding that the military had used them improperly.

Asked today what sorts of consequences Israel might face if it were found to have violated the arms control act, Mr. Boucher replied: "I suppose there are all sorts of potential consequences. The chief issue that we've tried to address here is whether an action that harms civilians like this is right, whether it's wise, whether it actually brings anybody closer to peace."