Former Biden Spokesperson Claims Israel Committed War Crimes During Gaza Conflict

Earlier this week, Matthew Miller, former U.S. State Department spokesperson under former President Biden, ignited debate by alleging on Sky News’s “Trump 100” podcast that Israel committed war crimes in its defensive war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Miller, who served as the face of Biden’s foreign policy, claimed he privately held these views while in office but only now feels free to express them. “There are two ways to think about the commission of war crimes. One is if the state has pursued a policy of deliberately committing war crimes or is acting recklessly in a way that aids and abets war crimes,” he told interviewer Mark Stone. “I don’t think it’s a genocide, but I think it is without a doubt true that Israel has committed war crimes.”

Miller’s accusations, which he tempered by calling state-level war crimes an “open question,” focus on “individual incidents” by Israeli soldiers. Yet, Israel’s military operates under strict rules of engagement, targeting Hamas, a terrorist group responsible for the October 7, 2023, massacre of 1,195 Israelis and the abduction of 251 hostages, 58 of whom remain captive. Miller’s remarks ignore the complexities of urban warfare, where Hamas embeds itself among civilians, using schools and hospitals as shields, a tactic condemned by the UN. His claim that Israel’s actions warrant war crime labels dismisses the IDF’s efforts to minimize civilian casualties through warnings and precision strikes, despite Hamas’s deliberate escalation.

Defending his silence in office, Miller said, “Look, one of the things about being a spokesperson is you’re not a spokesperson for yourself. You’re a spokesperson for the president, the administration, and you espouse the positions of the administration.” He admitted to “massive disagreements” within Biden’s team, citing a 2024 pause in 2,000-pound bomb shipments to Israel over misuse concerns, and questioned if more pressure could have forced a ceasefire, lamenting Palestinian civilian deaths. However, Miller’s selective critique overlooks Hamas’s rejection of ceasefire proposals and its use of aid to build attack tunnels. His comments, surfacing as Israel fights a just war against a genocidal enemy, risk fueling anti-Israel narratives while undermining the U.S.-Israel alliance in confronting terrorism.