State Department: investigations of potential international humanitarian law violations will continue after transition

State Department spokesperson said the department is working to reach definitive answers on a number of incidents under review and that “the obligation that the state department has to investigate potential violations of international humanitarian law through the use of US weapons are not obligations that expire on January 20th. They're obligations that carry over from this administration to the next administration.”

Why it matters: The statement addresses whether accountability processes and incident reviews begun under the current administration will continue after the inauguration of a new administration. The department cited a recent internal report and said some reviews remain ongoing.

Details and context: The spokesperson said the State Department has issued a public report outlining how it is reviewing incidents and that, in some cases, it believes it is reasonable to assess that Israeli actions may have violated international humanitarian law or related commitments. The spokesperson added that if investigations are not completed before the transition, they will be transmitted to the incoming administration and the obligation to pursue answers remains.

Journalist access and evidence gathering: The spokesperson said the administration has long supported allowing foreign journalists into Gaza and that continuing efforts to gather facts about potential violations would be a priority. “We would want to be able to do anything we could to gather facts about, potential violations of international humanitarian law,” the spokesperson said.

Ending: The State Department said it will continue assembling evidence and engaging partners to pursue completed investigations and to provide answers to affected U.S. citizens’ families.