Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ihl Accountability topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State Department says assessing alleged international law violations in Gaza is complex; cites actions on settler abuses and Sudan
Summary
The Secretary of State said the State Department continues to investigate potential violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza but described the governing context there as uniquely complex; he also referenced U.S. actions related to extremist settler abuses in the West Bank and recent U.S. steps addressing Sudan's RSF and SAF abuses.
The Secretary of State told reporters that the State Department takes its responsibility to assess alleged violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) seriously but that making definitive determinations in Gaza is "an incredibly complicated thing to do, especially to do in real time." He said Gaza's densely populated environment and an enemy embedded among civilians complicate immediate legal conclusions.
"We have a responsibility to do to assess in any place, whether, violations of international, humanitarian law are occurring, war crimes, other abuses of international law, international norms, international practice," the Secretary said. "And that's what we continue to do every day whether it's in Middle East, Gaza, or in many other places around the world, and I'll come to that because your question, about Sudan goes there as well."
He said the United States also looks to domestic processes in other countries where possible, noting that "in Israel itself, there are hundreds of cases that are being investigated. They have a process. They have procedures. They have rule of law, and we also look to them, to carry out, that process."
On the West Bank, the Secretary said the U.S. had taken actions in response to abuses by extremist settlers "and for the first time, I've taken action against them." He did not provide further operational detail in the briefing.
Responding to a question about Sudan, the Secretary described the humanitarian situation there as "the world's worst humanitarian crisis" and said the U.S. has taken recent actions, including measures directed at the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). He said the RSF had a determination of genocide applied and that actions under consideration for the SAF fit the legal category of war crimes, saying there are "gradations in these things" and that determinations are made "guided by the law" and reviewed by lawyers and experts.
On accountability more broadly, the Secretary said the department continues to gather and assess information and will report conclusions where warranted. He also pointed to public reporting, including the NSM report, as part of the record the department relies on.
Provenance: The Secretary's remarks on legal assessments, on-the-ground investigative complexity in Gaza, the West Bank settler actions and Sudan appear during the Q&A portion when reporters asked about IHL determinations and about Sudan sanctions.
