Reporters Ask State Department's Spokesperson If U.S. Will Allow Gaza 'Situation To Proceed As Is'

During a State Department press briefing, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott was asked about Gaza.

Transcript

00:00Thank you so much. Abigail Housel in our Financial Times. So I know, to go back to Gaza,

00:05I know you all have said repeatedly that the situation and starvation that we're seeing is

00:11because Hamas is blocking progress. Or you've said because the UN organizations aren't willing

00:16to work within the framework of GHF and then that Israel has set for aid distribution.

00:24We all acknowledge, obviously, that Israel controls Gaza's borders completely,

00:28and it is limiting food to the population because Hamas has not agreed to its terms.

00:35I know this question has been asked in many different ways. I'm going to try this way.

00:38To be clear, is the U.S. government okay with Israel allowing children and adult civilians

00:45to starve so long as Hamas and the UN refuse to play by Israel's rules for aid distribution?

00:53I reject the premise of that question in terms of how that was set up.

00:57Is it okay? This humanitarian catastrophe lies at the feet of Hamas, who could end this conflict

01:04today by releasing the hostages and laying down their arms. Hamas...

01:08That suggests that short of Hamas doing that.

01:10Excuse me. These kids are dying. Doctors don't have medicine. They don't have fuel.

01:15This is something that we have dedicated. The president and the secretary have been dedicated

01:20to getting as much aid as we can into Gaza in a way where it is not being looted by Hamas.

01:26It is something that we...

01:27Short of a change by Hamas, the U.S. government will stand by.

01:30I'm going to answer this question. We have been dedicated to getting those 90 million meals

01:35into Gaza in a way where it has not been looted by Hamas. We have been dedicated to getting aid into

01:39Gaza. It is something that the secretary and the president have talked about, worked for.

01:43These discussions of getting more aid into Gaza have been part of that ceasefire we are hoping for.

01:48But again, the blame of this lies at the feet of Hamas, and that is not...

01:52That is the fact of the matter.

01:54Short of Hamas doing something, changing its behavior, the U.S. government will allow

01:58the situation to proceed as is.

01:59The U.S. government is supporting an effort to get 90 million meals into Gaza.

02:03The U.S. government is supporting an effort to get as much aid as possible to the people

02:07that need it without it being looted by Hamas. That is the actions of the U.S. government

02:11in terms of supporting that effort, and we call on others to support that effort to get

02:15as much aid as we possibly can. Of course, it will never be enough. It is something we

02:20are continually working for, to get more and more aid in what ways we can without being

02:25looted by Hamas every single day.

02:27Last question. Has President Trump seen images of the children or other civilians starving

02:31recently this week?

02:33What I can speak to is President Trump's comments before that he has said publicly about wanting

02:38to get aid into Gaza. Yes.

02:40Thank you. The criticism against the U.S. of the U.S.