U.S. State Department Addresses Israeli Airstrike on Journalists in Gaza
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department is facing scrutiny over its response to an Israeli airstrike in Gaza that resulted in the deaths of four journalists. A spokesperson, speaking at a press briefing, addressed persistent questions from reporters regarding the attack and the overall safety of journalists in the region.
The spokesperson reiterated that the U.S. urges its ally, Israel, to investigate all such incidents. When pressed on the specific Sunday attack, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed targeted a Hamas leader embedded among the journalists, the spokesperson referred inquiries about evidence directly to the Israeli government. The spokesperson also noted that Hamas has a history of using human shields and embedding its members within civilian society, including "posing as journalists."
The briefing highlighted a significant discrepancy in viewpoints. A journalist cited the attack as "one of the worst, if not the worst, single attack on journalists in modern history," noting that it adds to a total of 238 journalists killed in Gaza in two years. The reporter also questioned U.S. support for an independent commission to investigate these killings, a request that has been made by the United Nations and several U.S. allies.
In response, the State Department spokesperson defended Israel, stating that to claim Israel has "failed every time" to investigate is untrue. The spokesperson affirmed that the U.S. trusts Israel to conduct its own investigations and that the U.S. expects to be informed of the results. The spokesperson declined to discuss any internal U.S. government processes related to the incident, citing the sensitive nature of ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict.
