NewsNation host Chris Cuomo has openly criticized Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) over her recent comments regarding Israel’s use of explosive devices to target Hezbollah terrorists.

The criticism came after Ocasio-Cortez took to social media, accusing Israel of committing a “war crime” during operations that targeted high-ranking Hezbollah officials in Beirut.

Israel’s operation involved rigging pagers with plastic explosives on Tuesday, followed by detonating walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives on Wednesday.

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Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed radical Islamic terrorist group, has long been a target of Israeli defense operations. Ocasio-Cortez, however, took issue with the tactics used, calling for an investigation into what she claimed were violations of international humanitarian law.

Cuomo addressed the congresswoman’s statements during a segment on his show Friday evening, pushing back against her accusations and pointing out the legal flaws in her argument. “She started by accusing Israel of a war crime for what they did to members of Hezbollah in Beirut, and then asking for an investigation. Then she decided to get truthy and show that her claim that the exploding pagers were ‘clearly’ in violation of U.S. policy.”

Ocasio-Cortez had posted on social media that the Israeli attack “unequivocally violates international humanitarian law” and undermines U.S. efforts to prevent broader conflict in the region.

She also suggested that the operation was in violation of U.S. policy. Cuomo quickly countered her argument by stating that Israel, as a sovereign nation, does not follow U.S. laws. “Israel is not one of the United States, so they don’t follow our laws or rules,” Cuomo explained.

He further questioned the congresswoman’s understanding of international law and U.S. defense policies. “If the representative was suggesting by that comparison that the United States should therefore not support Israel, good luck with that,” Cuomo said, pointing out that the U.S. has a long-standing alliance with Israel. “Here’s what really bothers me about this salvo: She’s dead wrong. This is why you don’t accuse and then go in search of a crime.”

Cuomo also addressed Ocasio-Cortez’s reference to a Department of Defense manual on the law of war.

He accused her of omitting a key part of the manual, which explains that the use of mines, booby traps, and other devices must adhere to the same rules governing other weapons, with a particular emphasis on avoiding harm to civilians. “What does [indiscriminate] mean? It means at all feasible precautions shall be taken to prevent civilians from the effects of mines, booby traps, and other devices, taking into account all circumstances ruling at the time, including humanitarian and military considerations,” Cuomo said, quoting from the manual.

He further explained that the manual allows for the use of booby traps under certain circumstances, such as to slow an enemy advance. “One of them certainly is a group of bloodthirsty terrorists coming for you,” Cuomo added, implying that Israel’s actions in targeting Hezbollah were within the legal boundaries of warfare.

The NewsNation host also questioned whether Ocasio-Cortez’s omission was due to a lack of thoroughness or an intentional effort to mislead. “Did she not read that part because she’s not a lawyer or not thorough or did she intentionally not want to be fair?” Cuomo asked. “One is misfeasance, not doing your job well. The other is malfeasance, doing it badly on purpose.”

In addition to criticizing Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks about Israel, Cuomo condemned the recent vandalism of her congressional office.

However, he called her out for not speaking up against threats made toward Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) or the assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump. “She had nothing to say about her colleague Anna Paulina Luna when that’s exactly what happened to her, and she said nothing about the assassination attempts against former President Trump,” Cuomo said. “So what do we know? Clearly, she does not value her opponents as humans the way she does herself.”

Cuomo’s segment underscored the ongoing tensions between members of Congress over issues related to Israel, international law, and political rhetoric.

While Ocasio-Cortez has called for investigations into Israel’s actions, Cuomo’s response highlights the complexity of the legal and political landscape surrounding U.S.-Israel relations.