State Department refers inquiries into journalists’ deaths in Gaza to Israeli authorities; urges investigations

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters that the United States is "concerned about the loss of any innocent life" after questions about an airstrike that killed journalists in Gaza. She said the State Department expects investigations by Israel and that "we refer you to Israel for information" regarding evidence they say connects a targeted individual to Hamas. When pressed about whether the administration is conducting its own internal review to determine if U.S.‑supplied weapons were involved or whether the strikes complied with the laws of war, Bruce declined to provide details from the podium, saying there are internal processes she would not discuss publicly in order to protect ongoing diplomacy and operational work. Bruce also said reporters covering conflict zones perform vital work and repeated the administration's position that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, during hostilities — a factor the department cited in explaining the complexity of investigations in the theater. Reporters raised the scale of journalist casualties and whether the U.S. holds Israel accountable; Bruce said the United States "calls on our ally and partner Israel to investigate these situations" and that the department will follow any resulting information from Israeli inquiries. The briefing did not announce any new U.S. investigatory findings or a public U.S. review report; rather, the podium response emphasized referral to Israeli authorities and ongoing, nondisclosed internal processes.