State Dept. on IDF Killings of Palestinian Journalists and Hamas Conflict

Ceasefire Proposal

• 🎯 The US and Hamas have reportedly accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egypt, but Israel has not yet responded.
• 🗣️ The State Department spokesperson stated they have no understanding of ongoing negotiations and will not speculate.

Killing of Palestinian Journalists

• 📰 Two more journalists, Hamza Al-Dahdouh of Al Jazeera Mubasher and Muhammad Mansour of Palestine Today, were killed, bringing the total to 208.
• 🎯 The IDF claims these individuals were Hamas members and were individually targeted using extensive intelligence and precise munitions.
• 🏠 Hamza Al-Dahdouh was killed in his car, and Muhammad Mansour was killed in his house.
• ⚖️ The Committee to Protect Journalists has previously stated that the deliberate targeted killing of journalists constitutes a war crime.

State Department Response and Stance

• 💥 The spokesperson attributed the ongoing suffering and deaths to Hamas's actions, including their October 7th attack.
• 🤝 The US stands by Israel and its right to defend itself against what they describe as the barbarity of Hamas.
• 🚫 The spokesperson declined to declare whether the killings constituted a war crime, but emphasized that the mass slaughter of individuals and targeting based on identity is a crime.
• antisemitism The spokesperson linked antisemitism to the barbarity of the group being dealt with, invoking the principle of "never again."