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State Department says it continues assessments of international‑law claims in Gaza; expects press access during ceasefire
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Summary
The secretary said the department continues to gather information and assess whether international humanitarian law violations occurred in Gaza and noted the complexity of making determinations in real time. He said he expects international journalists to be allowed into Gaza during a ceasefire phase.
The secretary said the State Department is continuing to gather information and assess allegations of violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, describing the task as "incredibly complicated" because of the densely populated environment and the embedding of militants among civilians.
The secretary told reporters that because militants operate "in and among civilians — houses, hospitals, mosques, schools" — it is difficult to reach immediate, definitive determinations about individual incidents in real time. He said the department is "continuing to gather the information" and "if we have any conclusions that we can draw in the time that remains, we will."
He also said Israel is conducting hundreds of investigations internally and pointed to cases where the U.S. has taken actions in response to abuses in the West Bank, saying those were steps the department has taken "for the first time" against extremist settlers.
On press access, the secretary said it remains the U.S. expectation that international journalists will be allowed into Gaza during a ceasefire phase, adding that it is important "that all of you and your colleagues are able to report, are able to share with the world, what the reality is."
Why it matters: Determinations about violations of international humanitarian law can affect diplomatic steps, sanctions decisions and international legal proceedings. The secretary emphasized that such determinations require careful legal review and evidence gathering and that, where possible, the U.S. looks to Israeli domestic processes as part of those inquiries.
What was not said: The secretary did not issue a final, on‑the‑record legal determination regarding whether specific incidents in Gaza constitute violations of international humanitarian law; he said the department is continuing to investigate and will report conclusions if possible. He also did not provide a timetable for when any formal determinations might be released.
Ending note: The secretary noted follow‑up mechanisms are in place and reiterated that press access during a ceasefire is an expectation the United States will press for publicly and privately.
