WATCH: State Department Holds Press Briefing As Operation In Rafah Continues
On Wednesday, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller held a press briefing.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 will not be transmitted to Congress today?
00:03 It will not be transmitted today.
00:05 We continue to work to finalize the report.
00:07 We expect to deliver it in the very near future
00:10 in the coming days.
00:11 In the coming days, so Friday at 10 o'clock?
00:16 I don't think anyone here wants to be dealing with that
00:19 at 10 o'clock on Friday, any more than you do.
00:22 I can't give you an exact time, but in the near future.
00:25 All right.
00:25 And yesterday when you were asked about this,
00:27 you kept talking about this is a self-imposed deadline.
00:30 And I suppose it is, because it's
00:32 in the NSM, which the president signed,
00:34 which said within 45 days of the receipt of the original stuff,
00:39 you would do it.
00:40 But I mean, so self-imposed deadlines don't mean anything?
00:46 I mean, for the government?
00:50 So it isn't--
00:51 If I tell my editors I'm going to have a story done by Friday,
00:55 and then I say on Friday morning that, sorry, you can't do it.
01:00 You can't wait until Monday.
01:03 But that's one thing.
01:04 Congress is not our editor.
01:06 Congress is a co-equal branch, not our editor,
01:07 just to be clear.
01:08 But if you guys say that we're going
01:11 to have this to you in 45 days, and then you don't,
01:19 what does that say about how serious you take this?
01:21 We have taken this incredibly seriously,
01:24 and we will have it up in the coming days.
01:26 But it is also important that we get this right,
01:30 that we do a thorough job.
01:31 This is the first time the department has
01:33 conducted such an exercise, and so we
01:35 are taking all deliberate care to make sure
01:37 that we get everything in it absolutely correct.
01:39 And it will be just a brief delay.
01:41 It will be what?
01:42 Just a brief delay.
01:43 A brief delay.
01:44 OK, so definitely this week, before the weekend.
01:48 I am not going to say--
01:49 I'm not going to put a timetable on it,
01:51 but a brief delay in the coming days.
01:53 And then the last one, which is probably a little bit broader,
01:55 but I'll let other people pick up on it, is RAFA.
01:58 So your understanding of the current situation
02:02 and how that relates to the pause in these arms shipments.
02:09 So when you mean the current situation,
02:11 you mean with respect to Israel?
02:12 Well, what your understanding of what Israel intends to do.
02:15 So I will let Israel speak for what they intend to do.
02:18 You've obviously seen them conduct a limited operation
02:21 with respect to the RAFA crossing in the past few days.
02:24 You've also seen them order the evacuation of people.
02:26 They have not yet launched a full-scale military operation,
02:30 and I will let them speak to any plans that they might have.
02:33 I will say, on our behalf, we continue
02:35 to have concerns about a potential RAFA operation.
02:38 We have made that quite clear.
02:39 We've made it clear with the Israeli government privately.
02:41 And of course, everyone from the President on down
02:44 has made that clear publicly.
02:46 Could I add something?
02:47 Yeah.
02:48 Well, you have these concerns, and then there's the halt,
02:50 and then this shipment.
02:52 So what's the message from that?
02:53 Is it the idea that this will make it
02:56 more difficult operationally for Israel to do this,
02:58 or is it more of a political statement why this,
03:02 and how does it directly affect the RAFA operation?
03:04 So let me say a few things about that.
03:05 Number one, people should be absolutely clear
03:09 that we are committed to Israel's security.
03:13 We are committed to the defense of Israel.
03:15 We have demonstrated that in recent weeks
03:17 with our participation in Israel's defense
03:20 when it came under attack from Iran.
03:23 But as we have made clear, and I just did a moment ago,
03:27 we have very serious concerns about a potential RAFA
03:30 operation.
03:30 We have concerns about what that would
03:32 mean for the civilian population there when you look at the fact
03:35 that there are so many people crowded into such a small area,
03:39 when you look at the way Israel has conducted
03:41 its operations in the past and what
03:42 the impact on the civilian population has been.
03:45 And we also have concerns about the impact
03:48 of any potential operation on the delivery
03:50 of humanitarian assistance.
03:51 So we have paused one shipment of near-term assistance,
03:55 and we are reviewing others.
03:57 But that said, our long-term commitment to Israel's security
04:03 has not changed.
04:04 Sure.
04:06 And expanding on that, I mean, the--
04:07 if I understand right, it's a pause.
04:09 It's not that this has been completely ended.
04:12 I mean, it's a halt in the shipment of these.
04:15 I mean, is there a timeline for when that--
04:18 are you waiting to see what happens in RAFA
04:19 before making a decision?
04:20 Is there a timeline?
04:21 I don't have a time frame to offer you,
04:24 but we have always made clear that our policy determinations
04:27 are dependent on Israel's policy determinations.
04:30 And just one more thing.
04:31 I mean, as you know, they already
04:32 do have these bombs in their arsenal.
04:33 It's not-- these would be the first ones.
04:35 Is there a message to the community of the Israelis
04:37 that they should not be using these weapons in RAFA
04:40 or elsewhere?
04:40 I'm not going to speak to anything
04:42 beyond the current pause of assistance.
04:46 The one shipment that we have currently
04:47 paused and the review of others, I'm
04:49 not going to speak to any further long-term
04:50 implications.
04:51 I think the most important long-term implication is the
04:53 one I said, which is that we are-- we do remain committed
04:56 to Israel's security.
04:57 We remain committed to Israel's defense.
05:00 But in the context of the unfolding situation in RAFA,
05:02 it is a place where we have very serious concerns,
05:05 and that's why we take the actions we take.
05:09 Just to follow up on that, what exactly
05:11 are you asking Israel to do in order
05:13 for this pause to be lifted?
05:15 I am not going to get into our internal conversations
05:17 with the government of Israel.
05:19 I will say, however, we have been pretty clear about what
05:23 we want to see when it comes to an operation in RAFA,
05:26 and that's what we don't want to see one go forward.
05:29 We do not believe Israel has presented
05:31 a credible humanitarian plan that
05:33 would account for both the potential harm
05:36 to civilian life of an operation in such a crowded area
05:39 or for properly evacuating and caring
05:43 for the over a million people who are there.
05:46 We just don't believe it's possible to move those people
05:49 to other places inside Gaza, and we have not
05:51 seen a plan to take care of them if they
05:53 were moved to other places.
05:55 And so that's what we have made clear,
05:56 is that we don't support such an operation.
05:58 And if they continue on with these limited incursions,
06:02 like we're seeing happen at this moment,
06:05 do you expect there will be further pauses?
06:08 I'm just not going to speak to what actions
06:10 we might take in the future.
06:10 We make these assessments day by day
06:12 based on what is happening on the ground
06:15 and make our appropriate policy determinations
06:17 based on those facts.
06:20 Just to dive in a bit, you mentioned
06:24 looking at the way Israel has conducted operations
06:26 in the past, that that is weighing on this decision
06:29 to pause now.
06:30 So what is it in the way Israel has been operating in Gaza
06:35 that means you don't think it's right to provide 2,000 pound
06:40 bombs?
06:41 So what I was referring to when I
06:43 said we don't want to see an operation go forward in Rafa
06:47 because of the impact that we have
06:52 seen in previous parts of the campaign
06:54 is go back to something the Secretary has said
06:56 a number of times when he's been in the region,
06:59 and that is intent is one thing, results are another.
07:02 And we have seen Israel take important steps
07:05 to improve deconfliction, to improve coordination,
07:09 to try and limit the impact on the civilian population.
07:13 But the results still have been far too many
07:15 innocent civilians dying.
07:16 And so when you take those results that we have seen
07:18 over the course of the campaign and then you transpose them
07:23 over a landscape in Rafa where you have more than 1
07:26 million people in such a tight area, people who have moved
07:29 from Gaza City, who have moved from Khan units,
07:31 who have moved from other parts of Gaza
07:32 and all crowded into Rafa, all of those concerns
07:37 that we had previously are magnified when you think about
07:40 how they would operate in such a dense area.
07:43 There is also an additional concern
07:45 that we've made clear, which is that the Rafa area is
07:48 the center for the distribution of humanitarian assistance,
07:51 most of the distribution of humanitarian assistance
07:53 in Gaza, both because that's where the civilian population
07:57 is, because that's where they've moved,
07:59 and also because that's where the two principal crossings
08:03 that have been open for months now also exist.
08:07 And so there is no way to replace
08:10 the delivery of humanitarian assistance
08:12 through Rafa and Kerem Shalom and then the network that
08:16 has been set up inside Gaza, headquartered in Rafa, that
08:19 would be severely disrupted, severely jeopardized
08:23 by kinetic action.
08:24 But just specifically on the impact in terms of bombing,
08:28 because what you've held back is these 2,000 pound bombs.
08:34 Does that mean--
08:35 I mean, the president has talked about indiscriminate bombing
08:38 in that campaign.
08:39 But is there some kind of assessment
08:40 that US weapons have been used in an indiscriminate way,
08:45 in a way that's caught up more civilians than were necessary?
08:48 So that is not a conclusion that we
08:50 have drawn when it comes to making
08:51 this kind of legal assessment, I think,
08:53 to which you're referring, when it
08:54 comes to ongoing assessments that we
08:56 have that relate to violations or potential violations
08:59 of international humanitarian law.
09:01 We are looking at those questions.
09:02 We've been doing so for some time.
09:05 And those processes remain ongoing.
09:08 The NSM, of course, will interact with these questions
09:11 in some very real ways.
09:14 But that said, even aside from those questions of compliance
09:18 with international humanitarian law,
09:21 when you see the results of the campaign to date,
09:25 you see too many Palestinians die.
09:27 And so when you look at those results,
09:29 as I said a minute ago, and you try
09:31 to imagine a repeat of such a campaign in an even more
09:34 dense area than where Israel has operated to date,
09:38 that's why we have such great concerns.
09:40 I guess I'm just trying to understand how,
09:44 in the conflict up till now, you haven't made that conclusion.
09:48 But you're able to say, for Rafa,
09:50 this is just beyond what we're willing to see our bond--
09:54 We have been clear for some time that the results were not
09:57 acceptable.
09:57 You've heard the Secretary speak to this a number of times
10:00 when he's been in the region.
10:01 I think it was on a trip last December when
10:03 he talked about steps that they briefed us
10:05 on that they were taking to improve civilian protections.
10:09 And he said, look, the intent seems to be there,
10:11 but we're going to judge them on the results.
10:13 And the results that we saw in the months unfolded
10:16 after that, including in the campaign in Conyonus,
10:19 was still far too much loss of civilian life.
10:22 I think we've spoken to that a number of times.
10:25 And so the thing that is different in Rafa--
10:30 different's not quite the right word--
10:32 but the thing that heightens the concern in Rafa
10:34 is you have so many more people in such a dense area.
10:37 And so all of the concerns that we had previously
10:39 are magnified when you look at the impact of all the people
10:42 that have moved into such a dense area,
10:43 as well as the humanitarian assistance concerns
10:45 that I've been detailing.
10:47 And just finally, I wonder if you can just be clear.
10:50 There are these larger bombs that have been held back.
10:55 There's also reporting about JDAMs that were included.
10:58 And these are kind of tail kits to help target bombs.
11:03 Are you also holding them back?
11:05 I'm related to--
11:06 I am not going to speak to specific weapons systems.
11:09 I will say we have held--
11:11 withheld, reposed one shipment.
11:13 I'll let the Pentagon speak to that, because once you get
11:15 into the realm of actually shipping weapons,
11:18 that is a Pentagon function, not ours.
11:20 But then we are reviewing other potential weapons systems.
11:23 And I'm not going to get into the underlying details.
11:26 Tom.
11:28 Do you have any update on operations
11:29 of the Rafa crossing?
11:31 I don't.
11:34 So let me speak kind of beyond Rafa
11:36 and talk about what we've seen with respect
11:38 to humanitarian assistance today, if that's OK.
11:40 That's a good question you didn't answer.
11:41 You didn't ask, but it's related.
11:43 So Karim Shalom opened today, opened
11:47 for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
11:49 But at least as the last update I got before I came out here,
11:53 we didn't actually see humanitarian assistance move
11:55 through Karim Shalom because of logistical and security
11:58 concerns on the ground.
12:00 And that also relates somewhat to Rafa crossing,
12:03 because what didn't happen today is fuel going in
12:06 through Rafa crossing.
12:07 And so we think it's critical that Rafa be open for fuel,
12:11 because without fuel deliveries into Rafa,
12:16 humanitarian assistance that comes in through Karim Shalom
12:18 can't actually be delivered.
12:19 The two are critically linked.
12:21 So it's why we pressed to have not just Karim Shalom open,
12:24 but Rafa opened.
12:25 Didn't open today, didn't open for fuel today.
12:27 We're going to continue to push for that to happen.
12:29 So you just said you haven't seen movement from Karim
12:31 Shalom on the Gaza side.
12:33 Correct.
12:34 So we saw Karim Shalom open today, actually
12:37 open for deliveries, but then trucks
12:38 didn't move in because of some of these logistical and security
12:42 concerns.
12:43 But basically, you're back to a situation
12:45 that you were in the first weeks of the war,
12:47 where you've got nothing open apart from areas
12:49 where there's not much happening at all,
12:50 it seems, according to eight groups.
12:53 That seems very significant.
12:54 And on Rafa, I mean, you've called it a limited operation,
12:57 but the Israelis are occupying the Palestinian side
12:59 of the Rafa crossing.
13:01 I mean, that's quite a big move on the ground.
13:04 And so I wonder what you see as the future for both aid
13:09 supplies getting in, Palestinians who desperately
13:12 need hospital treatment getting out.
13:14 We've heard this morning in a briefing from some NGOs
13:16 saying they can't rotate their teams,
13:18 they're stuck, the ones in Gaza, they can't get out,
13:20 they can't get humanitarian workers in,
13:22 they don't have Israeli visas.
13:23 So this is now potentially a very big problem.
13:26 And it was a signature achievement of the president
13:28 after a couple of weeks.
13:29 He said, or you've been saying, to get Rafa open,
13:33 you're now all the way back seven months of what
13:36 you had then.
13:36 So let me speak to the first one,
13:38 and then I'll come back and address the second.
13:40 And if I've forgotten to address some of the aspects of it,
13:43 I would appreciate a follow-up.
13:44 So when it comes to the level of humanitarian assistance,
13:49 the results as they are today are just unacceptable.
13:51 There's no other way to put it.
13:53 Something that the president made clear on the call
13:56 that he had with Prime Minister Netanyahu on April 4
14:00 is that there needed to be a dramatic change in the delivery
14:02 of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
14:05 And in the wake of that phone call,
14:06 we saw Israel take steps to improve the delivery
14:09 of humanitarian assistance.
14:10 One of those was the opening of Erez Crossing, which
14:13 does remain open.
14:14 One of them was the opening of Ashdod for deliveries
14:17 through Ashdod that would then go in through Erez.
14:19 And there are other steps as well
14:20 that we've detailed a number of times in this briefing.
14:23 When the Secretary was in the region last week,
14:25 one of the messages you heard him deliver over and over
14:28 and over is that it was critical not just
14:31 that the increase in humanitarian assistance
14:34 continue, but that it be sustained,
14:36 that the dips in delivery of humanitarian assistance
14:38 that we have seen at previous stages of this conflict
14:41 could not be repeated, that those dips would
14:43 be unacceptable.
14:45 Now, this week we have seen a fairly dramatic dip
14:47 in the increase of humanitarian assistance.
14:51 And so we are making quite clear to the governor of Israel
14:55 that we need to see those decreases reversed.
14:57 We need to get back to where we were.
14:59 And we need to see the levels continue to increase
15:02 and see those sustained.
15:03 And that is why we need to see Kerem Shalom and Rafah opened.
15:06 To Rafah specifically on your question about Rafah.
15:10 Rafah is absolutely critical for the delivery of, as I said,
15:14 fuel into Gaza.
15:17 There's a fuel depot that exists right at the Rafah terminal,
15:20 I think, on the Gaza side of the crossing.
15:23 And it has also been the primary entry and exit point,
15:26 as you said in your question, for humanitarian aid workers
15:29 to get in and out of Gaza and do the important work
15:31 that they need to do, that we want them to continue to do.
15:35 So it's absolutely critical that that crossing open,
15:39 that it remain open.
15:40 And we're going to continue to press for that.
15:42 I think I might have left out one aspect of the question.
15:44 Sure.
15:44 How sustainable is it to have Israeli control
15:46 on the Palestinian side of Rafah crossing,
15:48 and what are all of the problems that that potentially brings?
15:51 What's your, first of all, assessment
15:53 to how feasible and sustainable that is?
15:55 And do you have an alternative policy
15:57 you're going to put to the Israelis?
15:59 So I don't have an assessment to offer of the shorter, long term
16:02 sustainability.
16:03 I will say our position on what ought
16:06 to happen to Rafah crossing and control
16:09 of the Rafah side of the crossing
16:11 has been quite clear for some time.
16:13 And that's that we want the Palestinian Authority united
16:18 in Gaza and the West Bank to ultimately assume governance
16:22 in the West Bank.
16:23 That's where we want to get to.
16:24 And of course, that would include
16:25 governance of the Rafah crossing,
16:27 because they would be the controlling government
16:29 authority.
16:30 Now, what happens in the time between now and then
16:33 ultimately is a question for Israel.
16:35 Israel has seized that crossing, and Israel is in control of it
16:38 now.
16:38 So the responsibility to open that crossing and make sure
16:43 that it is running effectively right now
16:45 is a responsibility of the government of Israel,
16:47 which is why we have made clear to them
16:49 that they need to open the crossing as soon as possible
16:50 and make sure that aid deliveries can come in,
16:52 make sure that humanitarian aid workers can come in and come
16:55 out, and make sure that the delivery of humanitarian
16:57 assistance isn't further impeded.
17:00 Said.
17:01 Thank you.
17:02 Just to follow up on what Tom and Matt raised.
17:07 On Rafah, let me ask you a straightforward question.
17:12 You think the encouraging happened with U.S. OK
17:16 or with total defiance--
17:19 I'm talking about the Israeli-- of the United States position?
17:21 It did not happen with our approval.
17:23 It did not happen with your approval.
17:24 No.
17:25 OK.
17:25 All right.
17:26 So let me ask you about this then.
17:28 You mentioned that aid workers can only go through Rafah.
17:33 Would the United States ask Israel
17:34 to allow aid workers to go through the other points
17:37 of entry?
17:38 So I don't want to get into what steps we might take,
17:41 what further steps we might take.
17:42 The first priority is to get Rafah open, period.
17:45 And then we'll take other questions day by day.
17:48 OK.
17:49 So do you expect that the Rafah crossing
17:50 will be open any time soon?
17:52 One of the lessons I have learned
17:55 in the course of this conflict over the past seven months
17:58 is not to make predictions about what's
18:00 going to happen on the ground, especially when it
18:02 pertains to these crossings.
18:04 I will just say that we have made clear
18:06 that we want to see it open, and we'll
18:09 continue to push for that.
18:10 On the NSM-20 issue, Tim Reiser, who basically wrote the Leahy
18:17 statute way back, said that Israel
18:21 has violated the Leahy law consistently, always.
18:25 Now, you guys say here that Israel did not
18:27 get preferential treatment and so on.
18:30 But according to the author of this document,
18:33 Israel has always done that.
18:34 Do you have any comment on that?
18:35 There are all sorts of people outside of government
18:38 who have drawn various conclusions
18:40 one way or the other.
18:41 And you see them offering those opinions in the press,
18:43 as is their right to do all the time.
18:45 I can tell you that is not a conclusion that we have reached.
18:48 But that's the guy that wrote the book, right?
18:50 He is.
18:50 And I will just tell you, on behalf of the United States
18:54 government, we have not reached that conclusion.
18:56 Let me ask you about something the President said yesterday.
18:59 He said that Hamas is motivated by the ancient desire
19:03 to eliminate the Jews.
19:04 Is that the thinking in this building,
19:06 that Hamas is only motivated by ancient desire
19:08 to eliminate the Jews?
19:09 Is that the thinking in this building?
19:11 That is what Hamas has said.
19:12 Hamas has come out and publicly said
19:14 that they want to eliminate-- hold on.
19:16 But that--
19:16 Said--
19:17 Said--
19:17 Said, that--
19:18 --textually, that is wrong, Matt.
19:19 So--
19:20 --because Hamas came into being in 1987
19:24 in the midst of an intifada against the occupation,
19:26 responding to a brutal Israeli attack on Gaza.
19:30 So when we say ancient desires, I mean, that--
19:32 Said, I think you are--
19:33 --goes back 2,000 years.
19:34 --you are ignoring the repeated, over years and years,
19:39 of anti-Semitic statements by Hamas
19:41 saying that they are committed to the destruction
19:43 of the state of Israel and committed
19:44 to the death of the Israeli people.
19:46 I don't think that's a very controversial statement.
19:48 That is well-documented.
19:49 And--
19:50 I'm asking you a straightforward question.
19:50 Said, hold on.
19:51 Let me finish.
19:52 Hamas has been quite clear what their goals are when
19:54 it comes to the Israeli people.
19:56 And that is the total elimination
19:57 of the Israeli people.
19:58 We have seen them say they wanted
20:00 to repeat the attacks of October 7th again and again
20:03 and again.
20:03 So yes, the President was absolutely right
20:05 in his comments.
20:05 He was absolutely right that they
20:07 are motivated by ancient desires.
20:08 That is what they--
20:09 They have made that clear a number of times.
20:12 Thank you, Matt.
20:13 There is reports that Israel is using
20:15 white phosphorus in Rafah.
20:17 Do you have any, I mean, any information about that?
20:21 I have not seen those reports.
20:23 I'm happy to look into it.
20:23 Will you take it?
20:24 Will you look into it?
20:24 Yeah, that's what I said.
20:25 I'll take it and look into it.
20:26 And yesterday, you said that this operation is limited.
20:29 And you're still hoping that Israel is not
20:31 going to go with a bigger operation.
20:33 But what difference does it make when they evacuate 100,000?
20:37 And yesterday, there is videos of them
20:39 attacking tents that has refugees, including kids.
20:43 I think it's like tens of kids who were being killed yesterday.
20:46 So in the end, I mean, the results are the same.
20:50 So let me just differentiate two things.
20:52 When we spoke about it being a limited operation,
20:54 when I spoke about it here, I was speaking specifically
20:56 to their taking control of the Rafah crossing.
21:00 When it comes to the evacuation of 100,000 people,
21:02 we made clear that we don't want to see that happen.
21:05 We don't think that there is sufficient place
21:07 for those people to go.
21:08 We think that the evacuation, an evacuation order of 100,000
21:11 people will actually lead to more people moving and going
21:14 to places where there is not sufficient care for them.
21:16 So no, that is not something we support.
21:18 OK.
21:19 And finally, what message does the State Department
21:23 send to people who really, truly believe
21:25 in the respect of international law of the Geneva Convention?
21:29 When you have lawmakers in the US are threatening the ICT
21:34 judges or basically sanctions if they indict Netanyahu,
21:38 when you have an important report
21:39 to look into whether Israel is misusing US weapons
21:42 against civilians, it's being delayed.
21:45 When there is a unit in the US Army, in the Israeli Army,
21:48 that's being accused of gross human rights violation,
21:52 the West Bank has been pushed aside.
21:54 And also, there is a statistic.
21:56 56% of the Democrats, which is the party of the Secretary
22:01 and the President, say they believe
22:03 that Israel committed genocide.
22:04 So what message would you send to the equally people who
22:08 believe in democracy and rogue state who just
22:11 over trample all over these principles?
22:13 So a number of things there.
22:14 Number one, we don't make our decisions based on polls.
22:16 We make our decisions based on the facts.
22:18 And that's what we will continue to do
22:19 to make decisions in the best interests of the American
22:21 people.
22:23 When it comes to members of Congress,
22:26 they make their own decisions.
22:27 They speak for themselves.
22:28 They don't speak for the State Department or the United States
22:30 government.
22:30 That has always been the case.
22:31 They're independent actors.
22:33 When it comes to the NSM, I don't
22:37 think you should take a delay of a few days
22:40 to speak at all to our commitment
22:43 to compliance with international humanitarian law
22:45 or to writing a thorough report that will look
22:49 into all of these questions.
22:51 We are committed to doing it.
22:52 And I think it's a bit silly to suggest
22:56 that a very short delay in any way undermines that commitment.
22:59 That's it.
23:00 [INAUDIBLE]
23:00 I know.
23:01 I'm going through the examples one by one.
23:03 But that said, our overall message
23:05 is that we are absolutely committed
23:06 to the upholding of international humanitarian law.
23:08 We have made that clear.
23:09 That is the case when it comes to Israel.
23:11 It is the case when it comes to every country anywhere
23:13 in the world.
23:14 We expect every country to comply
23:16 with international humanitarian law.
23:18 And we have ongoing processes inside this building
23:20 to look at those very questions when
23:22 it comes to Israel's conduct during this war.
23:25 On the ICC part of her question, I'm
23:31 going to forget about members of Congress for the moment.
23:33 But the last administration actually
23:36 did impose sanctions on the ICC prosecutor
23:38 and a bunch of others.
23:40 And when you guys came in, when this administration came in,
23:44 you made quite a big deal out of rescinding that.
23:49 Can you rule out a change in that
23:56 and that you might go back to what
23:58 the previous administration had done in terms of the ICC
24:03 if they go ahead with this, with indictments
24:06 with Israeli officials?
24:07 I can't make any predictions or any announcements
24:09 one way or the other about what we
24:11 will do about something that has not yet happened.
24:14 I'll just make clear that we do not
24:15 believe the ICC has jurisdiction in this matter
24:17 and we're opposed to their investigation.
24:19 Yeah, but I mean, is this administration
24:21 willing to consider reversing its reversal of the Trump
24:28 administration's sanctions on the ICC prosecutor?
24:30 So again, the ICC hasn't made a decision yet.
24:32 I am aware of that.
24:34 But I mean, is this something you're willing to consider?
24:38 You're asking me to forecast what we might do or--
24:40 hold on-- or what we might consider
24:42 if and when they make that decision, which they haven't
24:44 made.
24:44 And I'm never willing to do that.
24:45 No, I'm not asking you to.
24:46 I shouldn't say never or not.
24:48 I'm only asking whether you're going to rule it out.
24:50 I'm just not--
24:50 I mean, it would seem to be a big backtrack
24:52 if you guys went and then reversed
24:56 your reversal of what Secretary Pompeo did with the ICC.
25:01 I am just not going to make any forecasts one way or the other.
25:04 We're going to wait and see what the ICC does
25:06 and make our decisions based on that.
25:08 Go ahead.
25:08 The minister of defense of Israel
25:11 was this morning at the border between Lebanon and Israel.
25:13 And he said that it's going to be a very hot summer.
25:19 Do you have fear that this war could expand wiser?
25:24 And like what we see in Rafah, could be also another attack
25:28 inside Lebanon this time?
25:29 We have always been clear from the initial days
25:33 of this conflict that we were worried
25:35 about the escalation of the conflict.
25:37 We were worried about the spread of the conflict.
25:39 And that's why we have worked so hard to keep it
25:41 from escalating and keep it from spreading.
25:43 And that includes through diplomatic efforts
25:46 to try to bring calm to northern Israel
25:47 and the border with Lebanon.
25:49 Those efforts continue.
25:51 And it's something that we focus on every day.
25:54 While we're dealing with all of the very serious issues
25:58 in Gaza, we remain committed to doing everything
26:03 we can to keep the conflict from expanding.
26:04 And there's ongoing diplomatic efforts to that end.
26:08 Also, I did go examine the protests that
26:12 is going on on the campus.
26:15 We did not feel that it was anti-Semitic speeches.
26:17 They're asking for a ceasefire.
26:18 They're asking for humanitarian aid.
26:19 They're asking to stop the war.
26:20 They're asking not to attack civilians.
26:23 They're asking to end the genocide.
26:25 So why President Biden said, oh, we will not
26:27 allow these protests to keep on going,
26:32 while they're asking for human things,
26:36 that this administration has been always
26:38 a big advocate for human rights and democracy.
26:40 And now we see that this democracy has
26:42 been oppressed on college campuses.
26:45 The whole world is kind of like watching
26:47 America is going down in democracy like this,
26:50 especially comes from--
26:51 So I would completely disagree with that assessment
26:54 of the state of American democracy.
26:56 Let me say, first of all, I would largely
26:58 defer to the White House to speak to that,
26:59 only because it's largely a domestic matter.
27:02 And as I think you know here at the State Department,
27:04 we usually speak to international and diplomatic
27:06 matters, not concerns that happen here
27:08 in the United States.
27:09 That said, the President has made clear,
27:11 and the Secretary has made clear when he's spoken on this issue,
27:14 that we are absolutely committed to Americans' right
27:18 to free speech.
27:18 It is one of the things that makes our country great.
27:20 But at the same time, other students
27:22 have the right to go to class, to go to school,
27:24 and those rights shouldn't be impeded either.
27:26 And beyond that, I will, as I said,
27:28 refer to more domestic sides of our government
27:31 to speak in any detail.
27:33 Go ahead, Alis.
27:34 Thank you, Matt.
27:35 A couple of separate topics.
27:36 On detained American citizens in Russia,
27:39 I was hoping you could help us with the numbers here,
27:41 because White House yesterday confirmed two cases.
27:44 We were aware of another case back in April,
27:47 and that's on top of three other cases, Paul, also, and Evan.
27:51 How many cases actively you guys are considering right now?
27:55 How many of them are deemed to be wrongful,
27:57 and you're seeking actively access to them?
28:00 Let me go back and get you a kind of full accounting
28:04 for that.
28:04 There are obviously the two cases
28:06 that we have announced as wrongfully detained,
28:08 Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich.
28:09 There are other Americans who are detained,
28:12 people who's released that we have called for.
28:14 And then there are other Americans
28:15 who have been detained for any number
28:18 of various alleged issues.
28:22 And those are sometimes in a slightly different category.
28:25 So I don't want to be as misleading.
28:26 Let me take you back and get you an actual answer.
28:28 What's your sense of why this is increasing these days?
28:31 Are they seeking some prisoner's lump?
28:34 That's why they are--
28:36 We have been quite clear that Russia
28:38 has detained Americans for not legitimate law enforcement
28:43 reasons, but because it wants to hold them essentially as hostage
28:46 and trade them for potential prisoners.
28:48 It's one of the reasons.
28:49 If you look at the D indicators on our travel warning,
28:51 it is one of the reasons why we have been so crystal
28:54 clear that Americans should not, for any reason,
28:57 travel to Russia, period.
28:58 Thank you.
28:59 On Ukraine, in light of last night's attacks,
29:03 I'm wondering if it's going to trigger any change on your end
29:06 in terms of expediting your support.
29:09 I don't have any announcements to make.
29:11 Obviously, the Congress just passed a new supplemental.
29:14 We have already announced more than a billion dollars
29:17 in assistance from that supplemental.
29:20 We are working on other packages.
29:21 I think you can expect to see us get back to the kind of tempo
29:24 that we were at before we had this break in funding.
29:28 So you should expect to see additional funding coming.
29:31 But I'm not going to give you a timetable today about when
29:33 we will make such an announcement.
29:35 I have one more on Georgia, if I may.
29:37 There's an incursion rhetoric, anti-incursion rhetoric
29:39 coming from Georgian DREAM officials.
29:41 Today, they announced one more project,
29:43 so primarily inspired, if you want,
29:45 incriminating database on opponents
29:47 without providing any due process, how they're
29:51 going to list those critics.
29:53 What is your take on where is this coming from?
29:58 I don't have any assessment on that particular thing.
30:01 I will just say that, as we have said in the past few days,
30:04 we remain incredibly concerned not just about the legislation
30:08 that is under consideration in the Georgian legislature,
30:11 but also the anti-Western rhetoric we have seen out
30:15 of Georgia DREAM's leadership.
30:17 We think that puts Georgia on a precarious trajectory.
30:20 We think it jeopardizes their Euro-Atlantic path.
30:22 And it quite obviously jeopardizes the relationship
30:26 between our two countries.
30:27 Do you find it positive that everything
30:29 we hear from Georgian DREAM officials
30:31 are, if you want, a reflection of everything
30:33 we read from Sputnik or other Russian --
30:35 I just don't have any further comment than what I just
30:37 offered.
30:37 Janne, go ahead.
30:38 Thank you, Matt.
30:39 Two questions on Russia and North Korea.
30:42 It was reported that the Russians
30:45 attempted to assassinate Ukraine President Zelensky
30:50 with missiles.
30:51 Is there anything specific about this?
30:54 I spoke to this yesterday.
30:56 I don't have anything further to add to those comments.
30:58 Do you find yet?
31:00 I don't have any further to add.
31:01 I will defer largely to the Ukrainian government
31:04 to speak to the details of that plot.
31:06 OK, another one.
31:08 A UN investigation team recently announced
31:12 that North Korea made a missile used by Russia against Ukraine,
31:19 contained the US and the European components.
31:23 What is the US's reaction on this?
31:26 Let me take back and get you an answer to that.
31:28 Sean, go ahead.
31:30 Different topic.
31:31 Hong Kong.
31:31 I don't know if you have any comment on this.
31:33 The authorities in Hong Kong have
31:35 banned the song that's sort of the anthem of the Democracy
31:37 Movement, "Glory to Hong Kong."
31:38 And today, they said that they're
31:39 trying to get all online platforms, including Google,
31:42 to take it down.
31:43 Does the US have any comment on that?
31:45 And has there been any communication with tech firms
31:47 on what to do?
31:48 So we remain seriously concerned about the continued erosion
31:52 of protections for human rights and fundamental freedoms
31:54 in Hong Kong, including the freedom of expression.
31:56 And the decision to ban this song
31:59 is the latest blow to the international reputation
32:02 of a city that previously prided itself
32:04 on having an independent judiciary protecting
32:06 the free exchange of information, ideas, and goods.
32:09 I don't have any specific conversations to read out.
32:11 How about on the online aspect, are they
32:13 trying to get them to take it down from online?
32:15 I mean, I would say that it goes to my comments
32:19 about being concerned about the continued
32:21 erosions of protection, including
32:22 freedom of expression.
32:23 And that would include to trying to erase
32:26 the song from the internet.
32:27 Do you want to follow up on that?
32:28 Go ahead.
32:29 Thank you.
32:29 Thank you.
32:30 I appreciate it.
32:31 Sticking with Hong Kong, as we speak, as we sit here,
32:34 pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai remains on trial.
32:37 In fact, tonight in California, there's
32:39 going to be a prayer service held for him.
32:41 But in December, this State Department
32:43 condemned his persecution, demanded
32:45 his immediate release.
32:47 It's now May.
32:47 We're 72 days into his trial, I believe.
32:50 Have you received any response from the authorities there
32:52 after demanding his release?
32:54 I'm not going to speak to specific responses,
32:56 but we have made clear for some time, as you said,
32:59 that we want to see his release.
33:01 And that remains the case.
33:02 How closely are you monitoring that trial?
33:03 Incredibly closely.
33:04 I can tell you there are people here in the State Department
33:07 that are following that every day.
33:09 And finally, there's an effort, you may know,
33:11 by lawmakers right now, US lawmakers,
33:12 to rename a street after Jimmy Lai, where
33:15 the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office in Washington,
33:18 here in Washington, is located.
33:19 The Jimmy Lai Way supporters say it
33:21 would signal to the entire world that the US stands in solidarity
33:25 with those who oppose the tyranny and oppression
33:27 of the Chinese government.
33:28 Does the State Department support renaming that street?
33:31 I just don't know if the administration has taken
33:32 a position on that.
33:33 It's not something we would generally
33:34 do here at the State Department when
33:35 it comes to a domestic matter inside the United States.
33:40 Thank you.
33:41 Go ahead.
33:43 Human Rights Watch today published a report
33:47 saying Israeli security forces have unlawfully
33:50 used lethal force in fatal shootings of Palestinians,
33:53 including deliberately executing Palestinians who
33:57 pose no apparent security threat,
34:01 based on documentation of several cases since 2022.
34:06 I would argue there were probably many before.
34:09 Have you seen the report?
34:10 Do you have any?
34:11 I saw that the report was released.
34:13 I haven't had a chance to review it in detail yet.
34:15 But of course, we take any allegations of human rights
34:19 abuses seriously.
34:20 It's something that we look into as part of our ongoing processes
34:23 here at the department.
34:25 And one more question on the Palestinian Authority.
34:30 So you're saying that you would like
34:32 to see the Palestinian Authority take over governing in Gaza
34:37 and also the Rafah crossing?
34:41 We have made--
34:42 sorry.
34:43 Well, is there any progress to that end?
34:46 Is there any movement on plans to make that happen?
34:50 Is there any talks with the Palestinian Authority
34:52 on this?
34:53 So there have been--
34:55 there has been intense ongoing diplomatic efforts
34:58 to this end with partners in the region
35:00 about how we can present a plan for a pathway
35:03 to an independent Palestinian state.
35:04 As part of that, it would include reunited West Bank
35:07 and Gaza under Palestinian Authority control,
35:11 under a reformed Palestinian Authority.
35:13 I should add.
35:14 And the Secretary was just engaged in those conversations
35:16 last week when he was in the region,
35:18 and we continue to make good progress on it.
35:19 One more on these unity talks between Hamas and Fatah.
35:24 What is the State Department's view on--
35:27 I just don't have any comment on this at all.
35:29 Come on, Matt.
35:29 Come on, Matt.
35:30 Third, come on.
35:31 Please don't interrupt your colleague.
35:32 Go ahead.
35:33 I'll do that.
35:34 Just do justice to your podium, please.
35:36 Please, please.
35:36 Go ahead.
35:37 Come on, Matt.
35:38 Michael McCall's letter to Secretary Blinken
35:41 about Robert Malley's case.
35:43 The letter has been sent on May 6.
35:46 Is the State Department planning to send an answer?
35:50 So that was two days ago.
35:51 So we've not responded to the letter yet,
35:53 but we have received the letter.
35:55 And we will take it seriously, as we
35:57 all do all congressional correspondence,
35:59 and we'll respond to it.
36:02 I will say, as we have made clear before,
36:05 there are certain things that we can brief Congress on.
36:08 And this has been something we've
36:10 spoken to any number of times since this matter first arose,
36:13 I think, last summer.
36:15 And we have briefed Congress on issues pertaining
36:19 to Rob Malley's status and issues pertaining to Rob
36:22 Malley's--
36:23 or pertaining to Iran policy.
36:25 But then there are other things that
36:27 relate to security clearances that has just been
36:29 the longstanding position of the executive branch
36:31 in the department that we cannot brief Congress on,
36:33 and that remains the case.
36:34 Thank you.
36:37 Go ahead.
36:37 [INAUDIBLE]
36:40 Sir, I see--
36:42 So a few media analysts and experts in--
36:47 few media-- can I just ask my question, please?
36:51 Thank you.
36:52 A few media analysts and experts in Pakistan
36:54 are discussing the expected release of Foreign Prime
36:57 Minister Imran Khan, while a senior senator claimed
37:00 that the United States is working closely
37:02 with the Pakistani authorities to end his unjust detention.
37:07 I don't see any evidence of this claim, but is it true
37:10 or is it fake news?
37:11 We-- no, we do not take a position on those matters.
37:14 Those are matters for the Government of Pakistan
37:16 to determine.
37:16 The Pakistani military spokesperson
37:18 said that Tariq-e-Taliban Pakistan is involved
37:21 in the suicide attacks in Pakistan,
37:23 including the killing of five Chinese engineers.
37:27 While we've also seen some reports where US
37:29 asked their diplomatic staff and US citizens
37:31 to stay away from troubled areas in Karachi
37:34 and some other parts of the country,
37:36 how concerning is the security situation in Pakistan
37:38 for the US?
37:39 So Pakistan has suffered a great deal at the hands of terrorists.
37:42 We regret the loss of life and injuries sustained
37:45 and offer our heartfelt condolences
37:48 with those affected by this attack
37:50 and remain committed to working with Pakistan
37:52 to address the shared threat posed by terrorist groups
37:54 throughout the region.
37:55 Do you have any comments on the treatment of Afghan refugees
37:58 in Pakistan?
37:58 Because after deporting thousands
38:00 of illegal Afghan refugees, now Pakistani government
38:04 started deporting those who have their documents,
38:09 include journalists, students, and even those
38:12 who were born in Pakistan.
38:13 What are your comments on this treatment of Afghan refugees?
38:15 So we have been close – I've spoken to this before.
38:17 We've been in close and constant communication
38:19 with the Government of Pakistan on the safety of individuals
38:21 in US resettlement and immigration pathways.
38:23 We will continue to work with the Government of Pakistan
38:26 to address any issues or concerns.
38:28 It is in both our countries' interests
38:31 to ensure the safe and efficient resettlement
38:33 of those individuals.
38:34 And we will continue to encourage Afghanistan's
38:37 neighbors, including Pakistan, to respect the non-return
38:42 advisory given the dire situation in Afghanistan
38:45 and to coordinate with international humanitarian
38:47 organizations to provide humanitarian assistance
38:49 and to support the implementation
38:51 of critical protection screening mechanisms.
38:54 Hudson, go ahead.
38:56 Yeah, one of the SM criteria is being an impediment
38:59 to humanitarian aid is one of the reasons of the hold-up
39:02 of the assessment because of the disruptions at Karim Shalom
39:06 and Rafah, which are clearly impediments to humanitarian aid
39:09 getting in.
39:10 The delay is not related to anything
39:11 that has happened this week.
39:13 The delay is just related to the fact
39:15 that we are trying to put the finishing touches
39:17 and finalize this report.
39:18 That said, I think it was before you were in the room,
39:20 I did speak to the delays in delivery of assistance
39:24 through Karim Shalom and Rafah and made clear
39:26 that we find those delays unacceptable.
39:28 And one of the things the Secretary said
39:30 when he was in the region last week
39:32 is after seeing an increase in humanitarian assistance,
39:36 that increase need to be sustained.
39:37 Obviously, this week it's not been sustained.
39:39 So we need to see it returned back to that level.
39:41 And that's what we're pressing the government of Israel
39:43 to allow to happen.
39:44 Thank you, sir.
39:46 Go ahead, and then we'll do maybe one or two more.
39:48 Go up to Shannon next.
39:49 Go ahead, yeah.
39:50 Yeah, for the time being, two quick questions.
39:53 The first one is, is there something
39:55 that the State Department would like
39:56 to see in Europe towards the war in Gaza
39:59 that the State Department would appreciate Europe
40:01 to do, looking at countries like Italy that
40:03 are very close in the Mediterranean
40:06 to those countries?
40:07 And the second one, I know the State Department already
40:10 had a statement yesterday.
40:12 If you can say something about what
40:14 happened to the Italian student in Miami
40:17 that was arrested and got tied from the police.
40:21 So I don't have any comment on the second one.
40:23 We can take that back and coordinate
40:27 with consular affairs to get you a specific response to it.
40:30 When it comes to the situation in Gaza,
40:32 we have been in close coordination
40:33 with our European partners on really two fronts.
40:35 One, in helping increase the delivery
40:37 of humanitarian assistance.
40:39 There are a number of European countries
40:40 who have provided humanitarian assistance that
40:43 has been critical for the needs of the Palestinian people.
40:46 We appreciate the work that they have done
40:48 and have stayed in close coordination with them
40:50 about that.
40:51 And second is, in looking at all the post-conflict issues,
40:53 the Secretary has worked with a number of issues,
40:56 including with the Italian foreign minister.
40:58 We talked about this both at the G7
41:00 and in a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Tajani
41:05 on the margins of the G7 about the role
41:08 that European countries can play in the end of this conflict
41:13 in providing a path forward for the Palestinian people.
41:16 And we'll continue to work with them on that.
41:18 Shannon, go next.
41:19 Thank you, Matt.
41:20 This is somewhat related to Alex's question earlier.
41:22 But do you have any specific updates on Gordon Black,
41:24 a staff sergeant who has been detained in Russia
41:26 since earlier this month?
41:27 I don't.
41:28 [INAUDIBLE]
41:29 We have not yet received consular access.
41:32 We continue to push for that.
41:34 And because of privacy issues, which I know you're well aware
41:36 of, there's nothing more I can really say.
41:40 Brian.
41:40 You won't see me.
41:41 You trust me.
41:42 Don't ask me.
41:42 You won't see me.
41:43 So I will just say, as a general rule--
41:47 I'm just going to say general rule, when people interrupt--
41:50 I'm not going to juju with this.
41:51 When people interrupt their colleagues, I don't call on them.
41:54 Go ahead, Ryan.
41:54 You respect it.
41:56 Go ahead, Ryan.
41:57 All right, you got your say.
41:58 You got your say.
41:59 I want to ask you about Tali Gottlieb, Likud official,
42:02 member of the Knesset.
42:03 She said this.
42:04 She said, the US is threatening not to give us precise missiles.
42:07 Oh, yeah?
42:08 Well, I've got news for the US.
42:09 We have imprecise missiles.
42:10 We'll use it.
42:11 We'll just collapse 10 buildings.
42:13 10 buildings.
42:14 That's what we'll do.
42:15 So she's threatening that if Israel
42:17 is held accountable for war crimes,
42:18 they will respond by committing greater war crimes.
42:20 What kind of effect does that have on US decision making?
42:23 Those comments are absolutely deplorable.
42:26 And senior members of the Israeli government
42:28 should refrain from making them.
42:31 We will continue to make our policy assessments based
42:35 on what's in the best interests of the American people, what
42:37 is in the best interests of the region.
42:40 Go ahead.
42:41 Go ahead.
42:41 Then Sean, then we'll wrap up.
42:42 Sean, can I ask?
42:43 Go ahead.
42:44 Yeah.
42:44 Thank you.
42:47 Will the US pause all military shipments to Israel,
42:50 or are the bombs and munitions the only ones on hold?
42:53 As I said, there is one specific shipment
42:55 that we have put on hold pending review,
42:57 and others that we're reviewing.
42:59 I don't have any further announcements to make.
43:01 But as I made clear, we are committed
43:03 to the long-term security of Israel.
43:05 We are committed to the long-term defense of Israel.
43:08 We are committed to spending every dime that
43:10 was in the recently passed supplemental by Congress.
43:14 And that includes-- we have already
43:15 approved the latest tranche of foreign military financing,
43:18 which is $827 million worth of weapons and equipment.
43:22 So I don't think people should make a mistake, a review
43:26 that we have taken with respect to some short-term assistance
43:29 with our long-term commitment to Israel's security.
43:31 And then lastly, is the administration concerned
43:34 that Republicans in the Senate could place holds on nominees,
43:38 like for state, until the hold is--
43:42 munitions and bombs for Israel is lifted?
43:45 The GOP has done this practice in trying
43:47 to get the administration to reverse certain policies.
43:50 Yeah, we have seen members of Congress
43:52 put holds on our nominees for a number of reasons
43:55 unrelated to those nominees' specific qualifications
43:59 or the jobs for which they have been nominated.
44:02 And I will say all that does is weaken
44:05 Americans' national security.
44:07 Because we need those officials in their jobs,
44:10 out fighting for America every day.
44:12 And when they're held up and they can't get put in those
44:14 jobs, it just makes it more difficult
44:16 for do everything we can to improve
44:18 the national security of the United States.
44:20 But I'm asking in this specific case--
44:22 I haven't seen a specific hold in this case,
44:23 so there's nothing for me to really respond to.
44:25 Sean, go ahead, and then we'll wrap.
44:26 Sure.
44:27 I mean, just back on this.
44:28 I know you don't speak for Langley,
44:29 but I thought I would just ask if you did have anything
44:32 to say about Director Burns' meeting with Netanyahu,
44:34 or more broadly, of the hostage--
44:37 I don't have any readout of specific meetings.
44:39 I will defer to other agencies that
44:41 are responsible for those meetings to speak to them.
44:43 It does remain our assessment that a deal is possible,
44:48 that a deal is within reach.
44:51 There is clearly space to reach an agreement,
44:53 and we are going to push to try to get one over the line.
44:55 With that, we're out for the day.
44:56 Thank you.
44:58 Thank you.