1:18 p.m. EDT
MR MILLER: Good afternoon. I do not have any opening comments, so Matt – Matt?
QUESTION: Nothing?
MR MILLER: Where’s the blazer? I’m not used to seeing you.
QUESTION: It’s too damn hot.
MR MILLER: It is hot, but it’s nice and cool – it’s a nice hopefully 65 degrees in this room, as I like it. So —
QUESTION: I – I’m not wearing it because it’s too hot. Anyway, can you – there seems to be a lot of concern that the UN is going to pull out of Gaza and not – stop, halt its relief assistance operations there. I understand there was some kind of a meeting that you guys brokered or tried – or arranged yesterday to try to figure out a way to – that they could keep operating. So what can you tell us about that?
MR MILLER: I can’t speak to a meeting yesterday from here. I can go back and get – work on details of that after the briefing, but I can tell you that this is an issue that we have been intensely focused on. Our Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues Lise Grande has been working with the UN and with various Israeli Government entities to try to figure out a way to allow UN workers to safely do their jobs and deliver humanitarian assistance.
We have seen over the past few weeks a big backlog of humanitarian assistance at Kerem Shalom, so a lot of trucks that have made it to Kerem Shalom but then have not made it out of Kerem Shalom into the Gaza Strip where they can deliver goods. And they largely haven’t been able to move because of a breakdown in security on the ground. This isn’t a breakdown in security where trucks are being shot by Hamas or by the IDF. It is just random looting and criminal gangs and criminal actors who have been attacking trucks, and so we have been working with the UN and Israel to try and find a solution to that problem, including such ideas as trying to make sure that UN workers have personal protective equipment, that they have radios and other communications equipment so they can communicate with each other and safely move around Gaza, and that work is continuing.
QUESTION: Okay. I’m sorry. You said that some of these trucks were being shot at by the IDF?
MR MILLER: No, I said they are not. So when you come to say —
QUESTION: Okay.
MR MILLER: Not – this is not – so obviously we’ve had issues in the past where there have been deconfliction issues, and you’ve seen strikes on convoys by the IDF and you’ve had other incidents where convoys have been diverted by Hamas. That’s not what – that’s not what the current problem is. The current problem is they’re being attacked by criminal elements inside Gaza.
QUESTION: Okay. So where do things stand right now as far as you understand them?
MR MILLER: So there is aid that is moving, both commercial trucks and then humanitarian aid that is moving from Kerem Shalom.
QUESTION: Well, is it –
MR MILLER: Commercial —
QUESTION: Are – is there humanitarian aid on the commercial trucks?
MR MILLER: No, there – no, there’s – well, there’s commercial trucks that include food and other humanitarian goods, but they’re sold on the market, in the free market inside Gaza. And those have been moving —
QUESTION: Really? The free market?
MR MILLER: It is a – it is a free, capitalist market, for what it’s worth. There are markets in Gaza where these goods are sold.
QUESTION: Okay.
MR MILLER: And there has been a fairly substantial amount of commercial activity, but that no way accounts for all the need because there are obviously a lot of people in Gaza who don’t have access to money, don’t have access to any way to pay for those goods. And so, we need to see humanitarian assistance sustained too – and that has slowed out of Kerem Shalom because of this breakdown in activity. There still has been a fair amount of humanitarian assistance going into northern Gaza over the Jordan route and stuff coming in from Ashdod, but there has been a problem in southern Gaza that we’ve been working to try to resolve.
QUESTION: I’ll stop. I’ll leave it to others to talk about the free market that exists in Gaza, but —
QUESTION: Matt, so on that, what mechanism does U.S. think could be put in place to improve the lawlessness – to improve the law and order in Gaza to allow aid distribution? Is there anything specific you guys are talking about?
MR MILLER: So let me ask – answer it two ways. One is in the short term. As I said, we are working through this with the UN and the IDF and other – COGAT and others inside the Israeli Government. Some of this is the measures I just talked about, and there are other things that I don’t want to get into from here because they’re the subject of conversations with those two parties that I don’t think should be made public. And then of course long term, we want to see a ceasefire and the re-establishment of Palestinian-led governance. And ultimately, we have ideas for providing security inside Gaza, providing governance and reconstruction – all of these things that would go to a restoration of law and order. But that is the long term; it in no way accounts for the here and now, which is what we’re working on, as I said, with the UN and the Government of Israel.
QUESTION: And who is responsible, in your eyes, for putting that kind of mechanism in place, especially when it comes to security?
MR MILLER: So right now it’s something that needs to be resolved between the UN and the IDF. Obviously, the IDF is the dominant security actor inside southern Gaza right now. There are IDF brigades that are operating inside southern Gaza. The UN is the humanitarian implementer who is carrying out the delivery of humanitarian assistance. So, they need to be able to work together to resolve this security situation.
QUESTION: And is this the best option right now for U.S. Government to improve distribution and to getting more aid into Gaza?
MR MILLER: The best option is to get a ceasefire. That is the —
QUESTION: Yeah, but I mean —
MR MILLER: No, I’m not – that is the best option.
QUESTION: Yeah.
MR MILLER: The best option is to get to a ceasefire and a —
QUESTION: But that has been very elusive.
MR MILLER: — an end to hostilities.
QUESTION: So we’re talking about in the meantime. I’m wondering —
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: — if there are any other avenues that you are pursuing or is this the main one?
MR MILLER: This is the main one. There is no substitute for the land route, aid coming in through Kerem Shalom. Obviously, we’ve been able to supplement aid coming in through the ground at times. We’ve been able to supplement it through the pier, and we’ve been able to supplement it at times through air drops, but those are supplements. The main delivery route needs to continue to be through gates into Gaza.
QUESTION: Right. And final thing is – and I’ve asked whether this is the main thing, and this is your best option, because you must have seen IPC’s update. It now talks about nearly half a million people are living – are facing the most severe form of starvation. And they say clearly that after some slight improvement things have – there is renewed deterioration after Israel has started its Rafah offensive. So, how is the U.S. going to remedy this situation? And how – it’s like, help us wrap our heads around the fact that how are we still in this situation eight months into this war.
MR MILLER: So I think we are in this situation because of the difficulty that this conflict poses to delivering humanitarian assistance, and it is not just a question, as we’ve seen over the past month or so, of getting humanitarian assistance delivered to the gates. There was a long time where we were just trying to get the numbers of trucks coming into Kerem Shalom every day up. We were able to get the number of trucks coming into Kerem Shalom up, and now we’re dealing with a different problem on the other side, which is the breakdown of law and order and the inability in some cases, or at least the extreme difficulty, of delivering humanitarian assistance inside Gaza. That was actually a problem several months ago. We were able to work to resolve it. It has become a problem again.
So these are always problems that prop up – that pop up that we are trying to resolve, which is why I say – and this is something the IPC said in their report today – which is the only real way to resolve – to fully resolve these challenges, is to get a ceasefire. You can work to deal with problems as they pop up, but I think our experience shows us over the past eight months that to fully get the amount of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and then delivered to the people in Gaza who need it, we need to see a ceasefire.
Another thing I want to say about the IPC report, though: Obviously, it confirmed what we all know and what we’ve been dealing with for some time, is that the humanitarian situation on the ground is extremely dire. That’s why we have been so incredibly focused on alleviating that situation. It did note some improvements, however, especially in the north. And I think it is important to note that in their last report in March, the IPC predicted that famine was imminent in the north and that we would reach famine, I think it said, by May. The United States Government intervened and did a lot of work to get Erez gate opened, Zikim open, to get Ashdod Port open, to get humanitarian assistance delivered into the north, and that has happened. Now, the IPC assessed today that that prediction ultimately did not bear true. And I think you have to assess it’s because of those efforts to get humanitarian assistance, which is in no way to declare that the job is finished.
Of course, the job – the work remains ongoing; the situation is still incredibly dire. We need to continue to get more humanitarian assistance into the north and, of course, address the stagnation and in some cases the reversal in situation in the south. And that’s what we’re trying to do.
QUESTION: Final, final thing – sorry. Did you get any specific assurance from Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant towards this end yesterday?
MR MILLER: So I don’t want to speak to the specifics of it, but I can tell you that we went through a number of specific things that we want to see resolved when it comes to the humanitarian situation, and got an assurance to continue to work on those, and we’ll follow through with the Government of Israel on the – in the coming days.
QUESTION: Can I follow up on that, Matt?
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: The IPC said that it’s such a precarious situation that it could backslide into famine at any point. What is your comment on that? I mean, like, they are acknowledging there’s been improvements in the north —
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: — but at the same time it’s such a precarious situation.
MR MILLER: I think it confirms two things. Number one, as the IPC itself said, we need to get a ceasefire. And that is the best way – bar none – to alleviate the humanitarian situation on the ground and alleviate the very real, very tragic of the – situation of the Palestinian people. And that is why we are working every day to try to get a ceasefire. It’s why we were so disappointed that Hamas rejected the ceasefire proposal that was on the table that the United Nations Security Council and countries around the world endorsed.
The second thing is that we can’t wait for a ceasefire, obviously, even as we try to get one, and we need to do more to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground, and that’s what we’re trying to do, as I just mentioned, through working to resolve these issues between the Government of Israel, the Israeli security forces, and the UN humanitarian agencies.
QUESTION: And is there any engagement with these criminal elements that you keep referencing through mediators or anything? Like, how are you convinced that a ceasefire would convince these actors to not —
MR MILLER: Not that – not that the United States Government is engaged in. I can’t speak to other parties. But we do – I mean, we just assess that a ceasefire leads to a general calm in all areas that would allow us to get more humanitarian assistance safely in, and would allow people to operate more safely inside Gaza.
QUESTION: And this may be a DOD question, but why does the U.S. continue to offload all of this aid from the pier when the UN is not operating to distribute this aid?
MR MILLER: I would defer to DOD on that, who’s the operator there.
Yeah, Shaun.
QUESTION: Just could we get a Lebanon – the Lebanon part of the equation, maybe just to begin with a couple of specific things. I know yesterday in response to a question, I think from Michel, you said that you couldn’t talk about the Daily Telegraph report, whether it was factual or whatever. Is there anything more you can say about that, whether there is a finding that Hizballah is storing weapons?
MR MILLER: No, I can’t speak to it in detail other than that it’s a matter that we take extremely seriously.
QUESTION: Is there still some process to (inaudible)?
MR MILLER: I just don’t – I don’t have any kind of assessment to offer. It wasn’t – that was a report that we read in the Telegraph and something we take seriously, but I don’t have an assessment about the underlying factual claims in that report.
QUESTION: This was about the airport?
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: The airport.
QUESTION: Hasn’t it been known for decades that southern Beirut, including the airport, is run by Hizballah?
MR MILLER: It’s a different question than what was in the Telegraph report.
QUESTION: Oh, okay.
QUESTION: If they’re storing weapons.
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: One other thing specifically on Lebanon. The Canadians just today issued a travel alert saying that get out while you can, basically. Is the travel advice still the same for Americans?
MR MILLER: It is still the same for Americans as it has been.
QUESTION: Okay. No plans? I mean, obviously you won’t preview those.
MR MILLER: It’s something we always review and update based on matters on the ground. But it’s something that hasn’t changed.
QUESTION: Sure. And a bit more broadly on Lebanon, both the Secretary yesterday in your readout and Defense Secretary Austin today are talking about the importance of diplomacy in Lebanon, raising this with Defense Minister Gallant. What’s your assessment on that right now? I mean, do you think that there is – are we headed to a larger conflict in Lebanon? What are the chances right now of a diplomatic resolution?
MR MILLER: So, I wouldn’t – I, as usual, would never want to assign a percentage chance to anything of this nature. I would say that we think a diplomatic resolution is possible. We think it is in the interests of all parties. And I will say that the – that Minister Gallant confirmed to the Secretary yesterday that that is Israel’s preferred outcome, that they would prefer a diplomatic resolution to the situation in the north of Israel across the border. And so, we’re going to continue to pursue that because it’s in the interests of all the parties involved, and most importantly, in the interests of the tens of thousands of Israeli and Lebanese families who have been displaced from their homes and want to be able to return home.
QUESTION: You said that Gallant indicated that they want a diplomatic resolution. Is that – do you think that’s – is that shared across the Israeli Government? Some of the actions, for example – the prime minister is saying they’re moving troops to the north. I know he couched it as defensive, but is that consistent with we’re seeking a diplomatic resolution?
MR MILLER: So, there is a – there are a broad spectrum of actors inside the Israeli Government, and I certainly wouldn’t want to speak for all of them. But I can say in all of our meetings with senior government officials, including the prime minister, they have time and time again expressed to us that their preferred resolution is a diplomatic one.
QUESTION: Sure. And a few non-Middle East things, but I imagine some people want to keep on.
MR MILLER: I imagine so. Go ahead.
QUESTION: Yeah. First, I just want to start off, see if I could ask you for a reaction to Médicins sans Frontières saying that one of their colleagues, Fadi al-Wadiya, was killed in an attack this morning. The attack killed five other people, including three children. Do you have any comment on that?
MR MILLER: So obviously, we mourn the loss of any civilian life. I don’t have any particulars with regard to that specific attack, but obviously, we don’t want to see any civilians killed in this conflict. And that’s one of the reasons why we continue to pursue a ceasefire.
QUESTION: I wanted to take a step back for a second, if I could, and just go over – over the past nine months, folks in this room have repeatedly raised potential war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel in Gaza. That has included repeated mass casualty events that have resulted from strikes, sexual abuse in detention – allegations thereof, and as well as malicious destruction of civilian property. In many of these cases, you’ve called on Israel to investigate itself. Generally speaking, are you satisfied with how your ally has responded to these appeals?
MR MILLER: So, I’m going to say that they have a number of open investigations into potential war crimes. I don’t want to pass judgment on how those investigations have been conducted until they have concluded, and there are a number of them that are ongoing. I will say though, separate and apart from what Israel is doing, the United States is undertaking its own reviews of potential war crimes in this conflict, and those reviews are ongoing. And that’s separate from anything that Israel is doing.
Yeah.
QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. There are some reports speaking about that Hamas is thinking to move from Qatar to Iraq, and the Iraqi Government approved to host the Hamas leaders last month. Do you have any comments? And have you seen these reports?
MR MILLER: So, I’ve seen the report. I addressed this at the briefing yesterday. We’ve made clear that no country should carry out business as usual with Hamas since the horrific actions of October 7th, and we would hope no country would provide a safe haven for Hamas.
QUESTION: Have you received any signs, any indication, from Iraqi Government that —
MR MILLER: I’m just not going to speak to private diplomatic conversations.
QUESTION: Okay, and second question. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, repeatedly they are threatening the U.S. forces to leave Iraq. And what they said in their last statement, the four-month guarantee that they gave to Iraqi Government to work with you to set a deadline to – for the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq has passed and it’s been expired. So, they’re saying that they are going to resume their attacks on the U.S. forces in Iraq if there is no deadline for the U.S. withdrawal in Iraq. So, this is not something that you are wishing for, so how are you going to prevent this attacks not be resumed in Iraq?
MR MILLER: So, with respect to the status of U.S. forces in Iraq, I’m going to defer that to the Pentagon ultimately to speak to. But we have long made clear that our forces in Iraq are there at the invitation of the Government of Iraq to conduct anti-terrorist activities that benefit the Iraqi people, and if our forces are attacked, we will respond appropriately and hold those responsible accountable.
QUESTION: And do you take these statements seriously when they are saying we are resuming the attacks on the U.S. forces if they are not leaving?
MR MILLER: I think I’ll rest on what I just said a moment ago about what our posture is towards any entity that would attack U.S. forces.
Stay in the region?
QUESTION: Yeah.
MR MILLER: Yeah. Jackson, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thanks, Matthew. Sorry. So, if Israel does plan to intensify combat along its northern border with Lebanon, will we get forewarned to get U.S. citizens clear?
MR MILLER: I’m not going to deal with a hypothetical. We are trying to avoid an escalation in this conflict. But obviously, the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas is our first priority, and we always monitor ongoing dynamics and advise U.S. citizens accordingly.
QUESTION: And Canada is reportedly considering plans to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon. Is the U.S. considering similar evacuation plans or changes to its Lebanon Travel Advisory here?
MR MILLER: I believe I got this question five minutes ago and answered it. It’s something that we always monitor when it comes to the safety and security of American citizens, but I don’t have any updates to the Travel Advisory.
QUESTION: And then finally, the House GOP appropriations bill for the State Department does have – it consists of a cut in funding. What’s the administration’s response to that?
MR MILLER: I’m not going to comment on proposed legislation from here.
Sam, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: Thank you. A couple questions, if I could. It’s been a while. The U.S. vetoed multiple UN Security Council resolutions for a ceasefire over the last several months, of course, but finally drafted one itself, which claimed that Israel had accepted the ceasefire. You say that they did; other people don’t see it that way. My question is about the timing. The – it came just after the latest orders from the International Court of Justice. On May 24th, they ordered Israel to not invade Rafah, and they stipulated that the invasion had, in fact, started on May 7th. Was that the actual purpose of the U.S. backing that resolution at that time, in order to forestall the UN Security Council doing its normal job of instituting the Security Council —
QUESTION: — of the ICJ order.
MR MILLER: Sorry. No, it was not. Our purpose in backing that resolution is we saw Israel put forward a proposal that we thought offered a real chance for not only a ceasefire but an enduring end to the conflict that would return the hostages home to be reunited with their families, that would alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, that would set the conditions potentially for lasting peace. And we thought it was important that the entire world rally around that proposal, and that’s why we put that resolution forward.
QUESTION: You talk about the hostages. Israel has a Hannibal Directive in which it has orders in place to kill at least its own soldiers, lest they fall into the hands of Palestinian groups. And there is substantial reporting that that, in fact, was utilized on October 7th – not just against Israeli soldiers but against civilians. Are we not now in a situation where Israel may be using the Hannibal Directive not just on Israeli civilians and military but on U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals?
MR MILLER: So I am not familiar in any way with either that supposed directive or those reports. And so certainly —
QUESTION: You’ve never heard of the Hannibal —
MR MILLER: And so certainly would not want to comment on them.
QUESTION: You’ve never heard of the Hannibal Directive?
MR MILLER: Shaun, did you have a – do you want to – I thought you wanted to go out of the region?
QUESTION: Sure. Julian Assange.
MR MILLER: Yeah. (Laughter. )
QUESTION: Somebody —
MR MILLER: Thought we’d get around there eventually. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: I sort of expect that you’re going to say it’s an ongoing judicial matter, but —
MR MILLER: But you’re going to ask anyway.
QUESTION: But I thought I’d try. (Laughter.) What was the value – or what is the importance for the United States of reaching a plea deal with him? Why was it important to settle this?
MR MILLER: So you’re right, it is an ongoing judicial matter. And so I am really limited in what I can say, where I can’t really say anything about that. I know that the Justice Department has published court documents related to this case. I know he’s scheduled to appear in court in the coming hours. And given that it is a pending case that is about to go before a federal judge, I think it’s appropriate for me to not comment on the matter at this time.
QUESTION: Sure. I’ll try a little bit more, but obviously he’s an Australian citizen. Can you talk about the nature of discussions between the United States and Australia at the diplomatic level? Was this important to resolve for the sake of the alliance between U.S. and Australia?
MR MILLER: Again, I think while the matter is pending it’s important for me not to comment on it at all. Maybe tomorrow we’ll have more to say, but I think today I should refrain from commenting and defer to the Department of Justice.
QUESTION: Okay. Unless anybody wants to pursue that —
QUESTION: Can I ask a follow-up?
MR MILLER: Yeah. Go ahead.
QUESTION: This obviously has been a source of disagreement between Australia and the United States. Do you consider that this matter is now on the cusp of being resolved?
MR MILLER: So I appreciate you trying, but I think I’m going to go back to the days when I was the Department of Justice spokesperson, and when we had a matter pending in court that was about to go before a federal judge, I think I very much would have objected to the State Department spokesperson opining on it from the podium before the matter was resolved, so I’m going to decline to do so today. So —
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
MR MILLER: And I’m sorry.
Alex.
QUESTION: Well, then maybe you can tell us what you think about having this case heard by a judge in a trench – (laughter) – in the Pacific Ocean?
MR MILLER: I think that is a matter for the Department of Justice to comment on, not the State Department.
QUESTION: Matt, I was wondering if this is – if his release is sort of a relief for the State Department when it comes to your engagement with —
MR MILLER: So I will – I hate to interrupt, but I only interrupt to say you’re going to get the same answer that I’ve given with respect to the other questions. It just isn’t appropriate for me, while this is pending and about to go before a federal judge, to comment on any way. The matter is not yet resolved. Once it’s resolved, maybe it’ll be a different case, but not today.
QUESTION: Not about the case per se, but its implications for diplomacy? Azerbaijan is on the record – president – saying that he raised his case with Secretary Blinken whenever —
MR MILLER: (Laughter.) That is an interesting – that is an interesting pivot, Alex.
QUESTION: And some other regimes also do that. So I was just wondering —
MR MILLER: Sorry. Go ahead.
QUESTION: — if you feel that —
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
MR MILLER: Sorry. I interrupted you. Go ahead. Go ahead with the question.
QUESTION: There are others out there, also the – particularly those with problematic human rights records. Do you feel that it does open up avenue – that it’s sort of a relief for you with engaging with those sorts of regimes?
MR MILLER: I do not – I don’t want to draw a connection between this case and any other.
QUESTION: I have different questions, if I’m —
MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: Can I go to a different region?
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: So Kenya – can you comment on the violent protests that have been happening outside the parliament after a bill was passed to raise taxes?
MR MILLER: Yes. So we condemn the violence reported during protests in Nairobi and around Kenya. We mourn the loss of life and injury sustained and offer our condolences to the families who lost loved ones. We urge restraint to restore order and provide space for dialogue.
QUESTION: And also just related to Kenya, does the – Kenyan troops are heading to Haiti, or they’re – can you give the latest on that, with the – with Haiti?
MR MILLER: So I will defer to Kenya to speak to the exact details, but my understanding is that they have deployed and are arriving in the near future, if they haven’t already.
QUESTION: Can I just go to some —
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: — of the – some of the rights groups – just quoting them – but some of rights are saying like, look at what’s happening in Nairobi right now, the use of live rounds. Could this bode ill for Haiti and for the security of it? What’s the level of concern with how Kenyan forces are handling the protests?
MR MILLER: So as I said, when it comes to the violence in Kenya, we urge the government to exercise restraint. When it comes to the MSS, so in conjunction with the Government of Kenya, the United States has vetted the Kenyan personnel for the MSS mission. We have also worked with other governments to vet their personnel for the mission. And we will continue to engage and vet personnel that are going to participate in the mission, because obviously it is important that the human rights of the Haitian people be respected as this mission to restore law and order is carried out.
QUESTION: Can I switch regions again?
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: Evan Gershkovich goes to trial tomorrow. What is your expectation?
MR MILLER: So I certainly don’t expect a free and fair trial, given that these are charges that never should have been brought in the first place. What I can say with respect to the case is that personnel from the embassy are traveling to be on hand for the trial. It’s unclear whether they will actually be able to attend or not, or whether they’ll be able to attend portions of it if there are portions of it are open and other portions that are closed, but we intend to be there to the extent we can, given travel restrictions by the Government of Russia, and we intend to be in the courtroom whenever we can.
QUESTION: And that’s not the ambassador? Those are —
MR MILLER: I’ll let the embassy speak to who it is that’s actually —
QUESTION: And do you have any sense of how long this could drag out?
MR MILLER: I don’t. I don’t. We honestly just don’t know.
QUESTION: Quick follow-up on that?
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: So the embassy staffers were allowed to travel to Yekaterinburg?
MR MILLER: To travel, which is not the same as being able to attend the proceeding itself. I don’t believe we’ll know that until tomorrow. And then after the proceedings, we will have a statement where we make clear what it is we were actually able to do in terms of observing.
QUESTION: Is it your impression Russia’s main motive in this case in terms of trying him is to – let’s say to trigger prison swap?
MR MILLER: So, I’m not going to speak to their motivations in apprehending him in the first place, but it’s clear that it’s an attack on journalism. They have made false claims about his behavior, about his actions, about associations with the United States Government that simply aren’t true. So, all I can say is that we are going to continue to try to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich as well as Paul Whelan – do everything we can to try to bring them home.
QUESTION: And may I also get your reaction to today’s ICC arrest warrant for Russian defense minister and chief of staff? How significant is it?
MR MILLER: So, we have made clear that there have been atrocities committed by Russian forces in their illegal invasion of Ukraine and that there ought to be accountability for those atrocities. We support a range of international investigations into Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine, including the one conducted by the ICC.
QUESTION: And just to follow up on that?
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: Are you actively helping ICC to pursue this case? Are you sharing evidence with them, and are you offering active help with regards to this case?
MR MILLER: I don’t want to speak to any – any what would be private conversations or private channels between us and really any agency conducting these kinds of investigations. As I said, we support the investigation conducted by the ICC as well as other accountability investigations. But in terms of private exchanges, I think I’ll keep those private.
QUESTION: Just one more on Russia?
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: The Russians today banned a number of European news outlets, saying it’s retaliation for bans on Russian state media. Does the U.S. have anything to say about that?
MR MILLER: Look, I think it’s another sign of the Russian Government cracking down on journalism because they are afraid of their own people hearing the truth, hearing the truth about Russia’s actions inside Russia, the actions by the government to repress their own people, about Russia’s actions to invade a neighbor and illegally occupy its neighbor. And so we have seen them cracking down on journalism for some time, and unfortunately that continues.
Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thanks, sir. So religion-fueled violence in Pakistan is not stopping for some reason. Just a couple of days ago, a man was dragged out from a police station by a mob on blasphemy allegations and burned to death. We have seen some horrible images. How concerned you are witnessing such kind of incidents?
MR MILLER: So, we are extremely concerned by those reports. We share our condolences to the family of the victim and we wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured in the mob violence. As we have previously stated, we are always concerned by incidents of religiously motivated violence. Violence or the threat of violence against another person is never an acceptable form of expression, and we oppose blasphemy laws everywhere in the world, including in Pakistan, because they jeopardize the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of religion or belief.
QUESTION: So in another incident, the police force in Punjab province destroyed the 17 graves of a minority community, and they did that under pressure from the radical Islamist party TLP, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. I mean, when you see the police forces involved in attacks on minorities and their graves, how much concerning is this?
MR MILLER: So we are aware of the reports, and we continue to urge Pakistani authorities to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all. Both – we make that clear both publicly and privately. This includes freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to peaceful assembly.
QUESTION: So, Pakistan has been on the CPC list for last many years, and despite this there has been no improvement regarding violations of religious freedom and attacks on minorities. So has the State Department ever taken up these issues when you meet your Pakistani counterparts?
MR MILLER: We have. We regularly engage with our Pakistani counterparts on issues of human rights, including religious freedom and the treatment of religious minorities. We remain concerned by continued incidents and reports of systematic, ongoing violations of fundamental religious freedoms. We have made this clear not only in Pakistan’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern, but also in the Department’s Annual International Religious Freedom Report and Country Report on Human Rights Practices.
Go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you so much. About yesterday’s Trafficking in Persons Report, on Bangladesh, you praised some effort taken by Bangladeshi Government, areas like prosecution, protection, prevention, with prioritized some recommendation. One of them is the trafficking Rohingya population. Over 1 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh right now. Do you have any plan or pathway to assist Bangladesh Government in repatriation them back to —
MR MILLER: So let me take that question and get you an answer.
QUESTION: I have another question about same area, that there are some hostile military activities going on near Saint Martin Island that Bangladesh only one island is there nearby Myanmar. How does the United States plan to collaborate with the Bangladesh Government to address the challenges posed by hostile military activities of Myanmar militant group and government forces near Saint Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal to support U.S. vision of secure and inclusive Indo-Pacific zone?
MR MILLER: And I apologize, but I will take that one and get you an answer as well.
QUESTION: Thank you.
MR MILLER: Yeah. Go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you, Matt. About yesterday’s trafficking report.
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: According to that report, which is based on updated data by the international organizations, in Syria, the SDF/YPG, along with the terror groups YPG, PKK, ISIS, and al-Qaida, recruit and use boys and girls are child soldiers. Also last month the United Nations report revealed that the PKK, YPG, and the affiliated organizations forcibly recruited children into their armed ranks in 2023 in Syria. So given that SDF is the U.S. partners in Syria, what are the possible steps by the United States Government against SDF/YPG? I mean, should we expect from United States sanction SDF/YPG, or are there possible other steps?
MR MILLER: I just don’t have any steps that I want to preview here from the podium.
Go ahead.
QUESTION: Prime Minister Modi of India expect to visit Russia to meet President Putin next month. Do you have any reaction, expectation?
MR MILLER: So we’ve seen those reports. I haven’t seen a visit publicly confirmed by either of the countries, so I think I’ll wait to decline comment until I see them publicly actually confirmed by the governments in question.
Go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you. Fixed investment in Israel has declined almost 68 percent during the last quarter of 2023. GDP also plunged almost 20 percent. There is a 27 percent drop in private consumption, and almost half a million people have fled the country according to local sources. How worried are you, is the U.S. Government, about this potential economic crisis in Israel? And how to help the country?
MR MILLER: So look, obviously there is a cost to any country in going to war. There are human costs, there are diplomatic – can be diplomatic costs, there can be economic costs. And that is one of the things you have heard the Secretary speak to when he’s in the region, that for Israel’s long-term security, Israel’s long-term economic growth, Israel’s further integration in the region, it’s important that we get a ceasefire – but not just that we get a ceasefire, but also that we advance plans to reconstruct Gaza, to advance Palestinian-led governance in Gaza, and ultimately lead to lasting peace and security and stability in the region, because that will benefit the Palestinian people, it will benefit the people of Israel – it will benefit everyone in the region.
QUESTION: Yeah. Also, do you have a written or public statement from Hamas stating that they don’t support the ceasefire, considering that according to you they were the ones who in previous months —
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: — proposed something similar?
MR MILLER: Yeah. They came back several weeks ago and rejected the proposal that was on the table in written – in written form. They gave us a written response that rejected the proposal that had been put forward by Israel, that the – that President Biden had outlined, that the United Nations Security Council and countries all around the world had endorsed. Obviously, we don’t make the text of that public, because these are very sensitive negotiations, but it was a written rejection and counter-proposal that came from Hamas.
QUESTION: Sorry, but do you accept the statistics that were the premise of the first question?
MR MILLER: I can’t speak to those statistics at all.
QUESTION: Well, then why would – I mean, do you know that there has been this flight of capital and people from —
MR MILLER: No. Obviously, as I – I will use my own words, and I – I stand by everything I said, but no, of course —
QUESTION: I – I’m not asking where they came from.
MR MILLER: I – I —
QUESTION: I’m asking if he agrees with them.
MR MILLER: I very rarely can attest to the validity of things that are cited to me in questions, so I’ll speak to what the U.S. Government believes.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
MR MILLER: Yeah, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you very much, Matt. In Pakistan, they are discussing this military operation again in the tribal areas, which is, again, my hometown. My colleague was talking about a man getting burned; that is also my hometown, that’s where my major readership is. A hundred and twenty kids were killed by Taliban; that is, again, my readership, my hometown. So my journalism has been filled with these things, and that is why sometimes I get a little crazy asking questions to you and Vedant, and I apologize for that sometime.
This recent incident also happened in Pakistan. Now the government is again thinking about doing a military operation, which has not produced any results since last 25 years that at least I have been reporting for that region. General Patrick told me that yes, Pakistan and U.S. has military and ISIS is a threat over there. Can you just explain to me what this administration has done since this Taliban regime in Afghanistan and its effect on my area particularly?
MR MILLER: So —
QUESTION: What have you done from the expansionism? Because I believe you guys have supported – this administration has helped the Taliban expand and the mentality and the whole thing.
MR MILLER: So as you’ve heard me say before, the Pakistani people have suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks. No country should have to suffer such acts of terror. The United States and Pakistan have a shared interest in combating threats to regional security. We support Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of its citizens in a manner that promotes the rule of law and protection of human rights, and our partnership with Pakistan on security issues includes our high-level counterterrorism dialogue, including funding robust counterterrorism capacity-building programs and supporting a series of U.S.-Pakistan military-to-military engagements.
QUESTION: Just one more, sir. A little bit lighter, but with a serious note – cricket. As you know, Pakistan —
MR MILLER: I knew this was going to be about cricket again.
QUESTION: Cricket. Pakistan lost pretty badly, right? But the cricket chairman is the guy who is in charge of this whole terrorism thing. He is the interior minister of the country. Now, what – no, my question is – the serious note is while so many serious things are happening there, how can a guy be a cricket chairman, an interior minister – basically the interior minister is who takes care of the – he’s interior. He’s cricket chairman. he’s a journalist. he owns a media house. Like, do you not tell to Pakistan, like, come on, get serious, all this thing, or it’s going to get out of your hands?
MR MILLER: I don’t in any way, shape, or form have an answer to that question.
QUESTION: Thank you, Matt.
MR MILLER: Go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you so much. Pakistani prime minister concluded a visit to China in the first week of June, and during that visit both Pakistan and China signed different agreements. And Chinese side did raise concerns on Chinese investment projects in Pakistan and the security threats about them, and now the operation that Pakistani Government announced, it is believed that there is a fear of Chinese intention in this operation. So we hear from U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee hearings that Chinese investment projects in Pakistan is clear threat for U.S. interests in Pakistan. So how do you see this?
MR MILLER: Let me take that back and get you an answer.
QUESTION: And second one: When we say, like – when you say, like, freedom of information, right – of information, right, to freedom of speech – so we have three examples. Pakistan is going to introduce firewall to control internet. Bangladesh already introduced cyber security, and India is also considering some internet control thing to control the content creators, all those who are, like – who are giving tough time for the regime. So, when you say, like, countries who treat the – its citizen with the – its own laws, then how we can justify this?
MR MILLER: So without speaking to those specific reports or specific pieces of proposed legislation, we have long made clear that we oppose any attempts to crack down on people’s access to the internet, access to information all around the world.
QUESTION: On a —
MR MILLER: Go ahead.
QUESTION: Thanks, Matt. The Wall Street Journal interviewed U.S. Ambassador to China Nick Burns. In the interview he blamed the Chinese Government for being extremely hostile to the U.S., and making it difficult for people-to-people ties. So, President Xi and President Biden agreed at their summit to increase people-to-people ties, like through student exchanges. So, does the State Department agree with this characterization?
MR MILLER: So absolutely agree with everything the ambassador said. It has been a priority for this administration to increase people-to-people ties, and we have seen progress in that. We have seen progress in cultural exchanges. We have seen an increase in the number of flights, direct flights, between our two countries, and work on that continues.
But at the same time, as the ambassador said, the increased PRC interference in our cultural and educational programming in the PRC since November runs counter to the commitments made at the Woodside Summit and suggest that the PRC’s version or vision of increased people-to-people connections is very different to ours – something the Secretary raised when we were in our – on our last trip to Beijing, where he made clear to senior members of the Chinese Government that, as much as we want to see people-to-people ties enhanced and strengthened, it’s very hard to do that when the Chinese Government harasses either American citizens who are in China or harasses Chinese citizens who participate in American – or attempt to participate in American programs. So we do think it’s in the interest of both our countries to increase people-to-people ties, and that’s what the ambassador was making clear in that interview.
QUESTION: And one more, if I could.
MR MILLER: Yeah.
QUESTION: So last week, Representative McCaul led a congressional delegation to India to meet with the Dalai Lama, who is now visiting the United States for knee treatment, and they were expressing support for the Tibetan people. The Chinese foreign ministry reacted harshly to this. Do you have a comment on this?
MR MILLER: I don’t. And with that, I think I’ll wrap for the day. Thanks, everyone.
QUESTION: Thank you.
(The briefing was concluded at 1:59 p.m.)
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