US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller criticized Israel's actions in the conflict with the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations and accused Israel of failing to provide enough aid to Gaza.
Addressing the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Miller said, "We support [Israel's] right to go after legitimate Hezbollah targets, but in doing so, it is critical that they do so in a way that does not threaten the lives of civilians. That's especially true in densely populated areas like Baalbek. It's important that they not threaten the lives of journalists, UN peacekeepers, members of the Lebanese armed forces, and it's also critical that civilian infrastructure and significant cultural heritage sites be protected."
"We have made clear that the campaign they are conducting in Lebanon should not, cannot, must not look like the campaign that they have conducted in Gaza. We do not want to see that type of widespread damage. In terms of the operation that they are going to conduct, I don't know what it's going to be," he said in response to a question about evacuation orders the IDF has issued for Ballbek.
However, he noted, "But of course, when you are conducting a military operation in an area where civilians are operating, and we know that Hezbollah does embed itself among civilians, you want to actually see civilians evacuate. That's something our military advises."
"We do ultimately want to see a ceasefire," Miller said of the northern front. "We want to see a diplomatic resolution that allows civilians, both in Lebanon and Israel, return to their homes." He said that US mediators are seeking a resolution that "fully implements UN Security Council Resolution 1701, something that we have not seen over the past few years."
Miller stressed that the resolution cannot see civilians on both sides return to their homes, "and then a month later or two months later, Hezbollah forces return to the areas along the border and start putting civilians on both sides of the border in jeopardy again."
Turning to the conflict with Hamas in Gaza, Miller said that while Israel has taken steps to increase the amount of aid that goes into Gaza since US Secretary of State Antony Blinken threatened to cut off military support to Israel over the issue of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the administration considers those steps insufficient and the “situation still remains at a level that we don’t find acceptable."
"We continue to make clear that food, water, and medicine need to make it in to all areas of northern Gaza, including areas where Israel is currently conducting military operations.
"There have been little improvements here and there on things like additional routes opening up in Gaza," he said, adding that the distribution of aid inside Gaza is also problematic, including the granting of permissions of UN agencies to enter Gaza or because the convoys are looted by armed gangs inside Gaza.