WEBVTT

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Good morning everybody or good

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afternoon rather . I guess it's not

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morning anymore if you're on the west

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coast . Yeah , that's true . I'm gonna

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move this water . Um

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I don't have anything off the top . Uh

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so Matt can dive right into questions .

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Yeah . Ok . So I think we all saw the

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readout of the secretary's meeting with

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Mr Dermer yesterday , which uh

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didn't really say a whole lot . Um So

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I'm just wondering if you can expand on

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whether you guys think that or whether

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you have made an assessment that Israel

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is meeting the criteria that was set

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out in the letter . Sure . So

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sorry that you found it unsatisfactory ,

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but I didn't say it was unsatisfactory .

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I just said , I didn't say a whole lot .

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Let me make a couple of points . So

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over the past 30 days , Israel has

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taken a number of steps to address the

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measures laid out uh in the letter that

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secretaries , Lincoln and Austin sent

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um earlier in October . Uh We continue

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to be in discussion with uh our

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partners in Israel about these steps

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that they've taken , which they took as

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a result of us intervention as well as

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additional steps that we feel that

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still need to be ultimately , Matt the

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US , it continues to be the largest

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provider of humanitarian assistance to

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the Palestinian people . And we're

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going to continue to do everything we

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can to search humanitarian assistance

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to people in Gaza . And ultimately ,

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our view continues to be that the only

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long term solution to alleviating the

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suffering of Palestinians in Gaza is

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bringing this war to an end . And we're

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going to continue to work to achieve

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that . The secretary raised all this

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with Minister Dermer yesterday . Ok .

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But I don't believe I heard an answer

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to my question in there . Look , Matt ,

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are they , have they met you guys

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yourself , set this 30 day deadline

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today ? Is the deadline , did they ,

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did they meet it or did they , did they

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not ? So I think first when it comes to

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assessing the humanitarian situation in

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Gaza and the region writ large , I

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think it's important to remember that

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we have constant evaluations ongoing

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and constant assessments ongoing about

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the circumstances . And first , let me

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just say specifically before I answer

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your question that we've seen some

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steps being taken over the past 30 days .

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Specifically , we have seen the

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reopening of the E crossing . We have

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seen a new crossing at Kisu Open

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as it relates to the Jordanian Armed

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Forces Corridor . We have seen a wave

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of a wave of certain customs

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requirement that humanitarian

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organizations had previously said was

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an obstacle . We've also seen some

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additional delivery routes open within

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Gaza including Bani Suhaila road ,

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expanding the use of the Israeli fence

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road as well as repairing the coastal

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road . We've also seen some deliveries

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resume and restored in the north first

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to Gaza City and in this most recent

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week to areas surrounding Jabalia ,

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we've also seen the expansion of the

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Mousavi Humanitarian Zone and we have

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seen the institution of periodic

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operational pauses . This is all to say ,

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Matt , we at this time have not made an

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assessment that there that the Israelis

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are in violation of us law . But most

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importantly , we are going to continue

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to watch how these steps that they've

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taken , how they are being implemented ,

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how that they can be continued to be

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expanded on . And through that , we're

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going to continue to assess their

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compliance with us law .

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We've seen some progress being made .

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We would like to see some more changes

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happen . We believe that had it not

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been for us intervention , these

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changes may not have ever taken place ,

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but most importantly , we want to see

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continued progress and that's what

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we're looking for . All right . So

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essentially there isn't going to be any ,

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any consequence for Israel not meeting .

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I I don't have , I certainly don't have

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a change in us policy to announce today ,

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Matt . But as you just heard me say ,

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we are constantly going to assess the

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circumstances on the ground . We are

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looking for these , some of these steps

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that we've made , we want to make sure

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that they are sustained and expanded

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upon . And certainly , if we don't see

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that , if we don't continue to see , uh ,

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steps in the appropriate direction , uh ,

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we certainly are , will enforce us law .

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There's no doubt about it , but you

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guys were the ones that gave them the

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30 day deadline . It's hard to see that

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your answers today , such as they are

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as anything other than kind of giving

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them a pass for not meeting . The

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certainly in the letter , I would , I

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would not view it as giving them a pass

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because one , no one is up here .

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Certainly , I'm not saying that the

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situation in Gaza or the humanitarian

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circumstances are rosy . It is a very

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di circumstance . And what we need to

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see is we need to see these steps um

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acted on , we need to see them

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implemented . And the ultimate hope is

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that through these steps , some

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conditions have been created in which

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we can see things uh like additional

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aid , additional food trucks ,

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additional measures being taken that

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all ultimately will be beneficial to

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the Palestinian people in Gaza . That's

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what we aim to see . And as you've

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heard me say , and as you've heard Matt

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and the secretary say previously , if

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we don't see steps being taken , we of

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course , will appropriately enforce us

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law . But if I'm wrong , isn't that

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what you guys said a month ago ? That

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is what we said a month ago and that is

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why we laid out and they have not yet

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met them because you say that they have

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made some , taken some steps , but more

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needs to be made . In other words ,

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they have not that that letter by the

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deadline , then you are giving them a

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pass is that I don't understand .

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There's no other way to look at it . No ,

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I don't think that is true . That

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letter was specific about some specific

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areas where we wanted to see them .

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Have you seen those steps ? We have

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seen some of those steps being taken .

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Yes . Yes , they didn't say some . It's

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at all right . Matt , the point is more

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than any singular step . We outlined a

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number of steps that we wanted to see

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taken what matters most is not just a

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specific action or a specific item ,

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but the totality of progress that we

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see a letter place , but I'll let

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others have a crack . The point is Matt

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that we want to see the totality of the

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humanitarian situation improve . And we

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think some of these steps will allow

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the conditions for that to continue to

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progress . Go ahead Jenny . But I mean ,

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if it's the totality of the

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humanitarian situation , we have eight

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aid groups who came out today and said

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that the situation has not only not

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gotten better , it's gotten worse over

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the past 30 days . So I just , how do

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you square that with this assessment ?

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That say you have or non assessment

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that they are in violation Jenny , I

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can't speak to the kinds of assessment

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that these groups made , certainly have

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seen that reporting . But to Matt , I

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just laid out some of the metrics that

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we saw , we saw the reopening of air as

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we saw a new crossing opening . You're

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saying , OK , they did this . But we

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were told you guys said it would be

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based on the results on the ground that

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have not borne out here . So I get ,

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can you , can you talk us through the

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deliberation here ? I I'm not gonna get

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into the deliberative process , Jenny ,

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but specifically when we're talking

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about specific uh metrics or specific

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actions or things on the ground , the

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hope is that the operational changes

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that have been made through some of

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these things , things , for example ,

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just the waiving of the customs

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requirement in the Jordanian Corridor

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or the reopening of certain crossings ,

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the additional um internal routes that

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we've seen open up the hope and the

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desire is that things like that will

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make it possible for an additional

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increase in humanitarian aid and trucks

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to get to the places where it needs to

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go . And of course , that doesn't end

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up being the case . Uh This is

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something that we are constantly

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evaluating and constantly assessing .

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Um And if that doesn't be the case , we

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of course , are going to make sure that

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uh how they are conducting themselves

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is in compliance with us law . There is

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no doubt about that , but we also have

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seen some steps taken that we think

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will address things like throughput

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that will address things like capacity

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that will address things like the flow

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of aid . And we'd like to see how that

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plays out . And how do you make those

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assessments though ? That these steps

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would be enough ? Who are you

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consulting if not for the aid community ?

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We are consulting closely , of course ,

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with the aid community , we are of

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course consulting closely with the

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United Nations , with the government of

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Israel , with the Jordanians , with

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other partners in the region , with our

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embassies and consulates in the region

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that are on the front line of some of

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this work . This is a deliberative

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process that is all encompassing , that

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includes a lot of perspectives and it

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is also one that uh did not start uh

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when this letter was sent and it

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certainly does not stop today . Uh

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Whenever the 30 day mark is up , this

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is something that we are constantly

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assessing and evaluating . Uh and

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should we see something that is

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inconsistent with us law , we will take

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appropriate action . Is it not in this

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is my last one . Is this not

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inconsistent with us law that you had

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to send this letter and lay out this

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timeline because they had withheld so

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much aid up to this point , Jenny , the

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point of this letter was to raise some

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areas of concern and to lay out some

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steps in which we thought uh that

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addressing some of these areas would

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lead to uh uh uh steps in the , in the

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right direction when it comes to

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humanitarian assistance . Uh we have

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seen some steps being taken . Uh there

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need to be some additional steps that

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are also taken . But most importantly ,

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we need to see this , these kinds of

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efforts sustained over a long period of

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time . And that's what we hope to see .

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Myra . I don um I don't mean to be a

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dead horse , but I think you're gonna

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get this question a lot . We're , I

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think we're trying to understand why

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the administration secretary Matt , I

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think it was November the fourth . He

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said from this podium , we are going to

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look at the results and the results so

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far . That was a little assessment by

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him that day are not good enough . And

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then here you are about a week later ,

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you're effectively giving Israel a pass

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on this . We are not , we're not giving

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Israel a pass . First of all

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the efforts and the things that we had

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seen in place a week ago certainly

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were not satisfactory . But I am

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standing here before you with new and

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additional information . It is up to

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you to to intake it or process it

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however you like . But when we were

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talking about this last week , just

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again , the New Crossing at Kisu that

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had not been opened had not been

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reopened . This waving of a custom

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requirement in the Jordanian Corridor

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had not been in place . These

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additional routes within Gaza had not

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been in place . So uh these are the

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kinds of result and steps that we were

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talking about a week ago . We these are

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the kinds of things we're talking about .

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When we outlined that letter . There is

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nobody in this administration saying

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that the humanitarian situation in Gaza

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is pristine . It is a , it is a

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humanitarian , it continues to be a a

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crisis and it continues dire

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circumstances . And the point is we

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want to see changes like these um

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consist being made consistently and

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over an extended period of time . Our

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hope is is that things like these have

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created the operational throughput ,

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they have created the capacity , they

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have uh reduced some barriers that will

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make it so that the aid can get to the

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places uh where it needs to go . And if

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we do not continue to see steps like

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this in the right direction , then

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certainly um uh we would find uh the

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government out of compliance with us

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law but , but , but Humira , the

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important thing and I'm not trying to ,

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I'm not trying to harp on this is that

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there are things , there are new things

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that have been done . You can choose to

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disagree with whether it's enough or

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not . And humanitarian groups can

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choose to disagree whether it's enough

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and we certainly are not saying that it

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is a silver bullet , but there are new

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uh progress markers that have been made

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in terms of trying to be responsive to

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what is happening in the humanitarian

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context . We have seen those steps .

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But what we're trying to tell you is

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that you , the US government has

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explicitly said the steps

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themselves is not going to be enough .

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We need to see the results on the

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ground . So you keep telling me they

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have taken steps and whether or not I

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find them satisfactory , I think that's

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very , that's quite irrelevant . The

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relevance is that what is the situation

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on the ground ? And you're describing

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it as dire , that's why we're trying to .

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But I don't understand you couldn't

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agree more . We couldn't agree that I

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actually have a question . You keep

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talking about ongoing assessment . When

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do you intend to do this ? This

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administration has less than 70 days in

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office and the humanitarian aid

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situation is a problem that's been

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going on over a year . You , I mean ,

13:28.440 --> 13:31.510
it's , it's clear that you have , you

13:31.520 --> 13:34.919
had trouble convincing Israel to boost

13:34.929 --> 13:37.570
measures to improve manar aid . What

13:37.580 --> 13:39.859
makes you think that you're going to

13:39.869 --> 13:42.070
achieve that in the remaining time if

13:42.080 --> 13:44.080
at all ? So first let me just say ,

13:44.080 --> 13:46.136
assessing the humanitarian situation

13:46.136 --> 13:48.380
and assessing steps in ways that we can

13:48.390 --> 13:50.880
continue to support that line of effort

13:50.890 --> 13:53.112
is not something that starts or stops .

13:53.112 --> 13:55.334
So to your question , about timing . Uh

13:55.334 --> 13:57.429
We were looking at the humanitarian

13:57.440 --> 14:01.070
situation in Gaza before October 7th in

14:01.080 --> 14:03.330
the time since and will continue to be

14:03.340 --> 14:05.507
engaged on this . When it comes to the

14:05.507 --> 14:07.284
letter , we were looking at the

14:07.284 --> 14:09.849
humanitarian situation in Gaza before

14:09.859 --> 14:11.692
this letter was sent and we will

14:11.692 --> 14:13.650
continue to look closely at the

14:13.659 --> 14:16.250
humanitarian situation in Gaza . After

14:16.260 --> 14:19.090
this 30 day uh period is up , we are

14:19.099 --> 14:21.210
constantly assessing and evaluating .

14:21.210 --> 14:23.929
And if we do not see uh consistent

14:23.940 --> 14:26.162
progress , if we do not see the results

14:26.162 --> 14:28.479
on , on the ground , uh then we will of

14:28.489 --> 14:30.969
course make appropriate assessments

14:30.979 --> 14:33.030
about their compliance with

14:33.039 --> 14:35.261
international law and a compliance with

14:35.261 --> 14:37.428
the US law . And that will continue to

14:37.428 --> 14:39.595
be the case . Just a few more things .

14:39.595 --> 14:41.817
What was Legal Bureau's input in this ?

14:41.817 --> 14:43.761
I'm just not going to get into the

14:43.761 --> 14:45.595
deliberative process or speak to

14:45.595 --> 14:48.330
specifics what I can say and what we

14:48.340 --> 14:50.618
have said before as it relates to this ,

14:50.618 --> 14:52.729
these are deliberative processes that

14:52.739 --> 14:55.070
include input from not just across the

14:55.080 --> 14:56.858
State Department but across the

14:56.858 --> 14:58.979
interagency as those individuals who

14:58.989 --> 15:01.150
are on the front lines of working on

15:01.159 --> 15:03.270
these very serious humanitarian . But

15:03.270 --> 15:07.150
given this is an assessment on

15:07.159 --> 15:09.520
whether or not a country is violating

15:09.530 --> 15:11.909
us law . Could we assume that State

15:11.919 --> 15:14.109
Department's Legal Bureau concluded

15:14.119 --> 15:16.770
that Israel is not violating , I'm not

15:16.780 --> 15:19.200
here to offer an assessment or even a

15:19.210 --> 15:21.650
legal assessment on how a particular

15:21.659 --> 15:23.669
Bureau made or didn't make a

15:23.679 --> 15:25.846
recommendation , what I am here to say

15:25.846 --> 15:28.012
and what we have said again is that um

15:28.012 --> 15:30.320
we've seen some steps taken , I

15:30.330 --> 15:33.090
outlined them in detail to you , to

15:33.099 --> 15:35.780
Jenny , to Matt . What we want to see

15:35.789 --> 15:38.750
now is that we want to see these steps

15:38.760 --> 15:40.927
sustained over time and we're going to

15:40.927 --> 15:43.093
continue to remain in close touch with

15:43.093 --> 15:44.982
our Israeli partners , the United

15:44.982 --> 15:47.149
Nations , other partners in the region

15:47.149 --> 15:49.204
to make sure that these steps have a

15:49.204 --> 15:51.260
lasting impact on the results on the

15:51.260 --> 15:53.427
ground . And if that doesn't , if that

15:53.427 --> 15:55.427
doesn't end up being the case , the

15:55.427 --> 15:57.038
United States will also take

15:57.038 --> 15:59.038
appropriate action . Final one , us

15:59.038 --> 16:00.927
ambassador to the Un Linda Thomas

16:00.927 --> 16:03.038
Greenfield last month said the US was

16:03.038 --> 16:04.871
watching to ensure that Israel's

16:04.871 --> 16:06.871
actions on the ground needs to show

16:06.871 --> 16:06.346
that it doesn't have a policy of

16:06.356 --> 16:09.726
starvation given that you have had an

16:09.736 --> 16:11.646
assessment going on on all of the

16:11.656 --> 16:14.377
humanitarian aid measures . Can you say

16:14.627 --> 16:16.794
that's the case that they don't have a

16:16.794 --> 16:18.817
policy of starvation ? I don't , I

16:18.827 --> 16:21.049
don't have a the specific assessment to

16:21.049 --> 16:23.160
offer Humira . What I can say is that

16:23.160 --> 16:25.484
doesn't that there has not been a

16:25.494 --> 16:27.804
conclusive finding of that . Um Or at

16:27.814 --> 16:30.036
least I don't have one to offer from uh

16:30.036 --> 16:32.564
from this government . What we are

16:32.573 --> 16:36.564
hoping is that these steps and them

16:36.573 --> 16:38.684
contributed with the additional steps

16:38.684 --> 16:40.795
that we would like to see happen . Uh

16:40.795 --> 16:43.017
Can again , as I said to Jenny , create

16:43.017 --> 16:44.851
uh the space , these operational

16:44.851 --> 16:46.795
changes , create the space and the

16:46.795 --> 16:49.471
capacity to increase uh the number of

16:49.481 --> 16:51.911
trucks , the types of aid and to make

16:51.921 --> 16:54.310
sure that the product can get where it

16:54.320 --> 16:56.281
needs to go . And it is absolutely

16:56.291 --> 16:58.911
incumbent upon the government of Israel

16:58.921 --> 17:00.699
and the United Nation and other

17:00.699 --> 17:02.699
partners to ensure that it actually

17:02.699 --> 17:04.980
does that . And we are gonna take our

17:04.990 --> 17:06.879
responsibility in this incredibly

17:06.879 --> 17:08.990
seriously and we'll be making sure to

17:08.990 --> 17:10.768
work hard with all the relevant

17:10.768 --> 17:13.930
interlocutors to see that happen . Let

17:13.939 --> 17:16.106
me go to Shannon and then I'll come to

17:16.106 --> 17:18.272
you , Sean , go ahead assuming this is

17:18.272 --> 17:21.170
on topic , just backing up a little bit ,

17:21.180 --> 17:23.291
explain the logic of setting a 30 day

17:23.291 --> 17:25.513
deadline if the end result was going to

17:25.513 --> 17:27.458
be that we're hoping to have these

17:27.458 --> 17:29.458
continuous assessments , continuous

17:29.458 --> 17:29.439
improvements even though all of those

17:29.449 --> 17:31.616
demands haven't been met . Why set the

17:31.616 --> 17:33.616
30 day deadline ? Because when this

17:33.616 --> 17:35.727
letter did serve , there was a lot of

17:35.727 --> 17:37.949
speculation that perhaps this was a way

17:37.949 --> 17:37.439
to kind of , you know , kick the ball

17:37.449 --> 17:41.119
back beyond the election . So the we

17:41.130 --> 17:42.963
make foreign policy and national

17:42.963 --> 17:45.130
security decisions because they are in

17:45.130 --> 17:47.186
the interest of the United States in

17:47.186 --> 17:49.408
the interest of the American people and

17:49.408 --> 17:51.463
the interest of the region . Not for

17:51.463 --> 17:54.640
any electoral political reason . This

17:54.650 --> 17:58.260
letter was sent because the Secretary

17:58.270 --> 18:00.381
of State and the Secretary of Defense

18:00.381 --> 18:02.326
had legitimate and serious concern

18:02.326 --> 18:04.640
about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza .

18:04.729 --> 18:06.880
This Department and the Pentagon had

18:06.890 --> 18:10.459
some specific concerns about the lack

18:10.469 --> 18:12.780
of progress in some specific areas .

18:12.790 --> 18:15.369
And it had some recommendations on what

18:15.380 --> 18:18.630
steps we think uh specifically the Id

18:18.640 --> 18:20.640
Fko , a the government of Israel of

18:20.640 --> 18:22.699
Writ large could take uh to further

18:22.709 --> 18:25.319
enhance the humanitarian situation in

18:25.329 --> 18:28.260
Gaza . Uh It's been 30 days , we have

18:28.270 --> 18:30.469
seen some of those steps being taken

18:30.479 --> 18:33.349
again , I outlined those already . Um

18:33.359 --> 18:35.469
There are a number of steps that we

18:35.479 --> 18:38.209
think also addition could be taken and

18:38.219 --> 18:40.369
will continue to remain engaged on

18:40.380 --> 18:42.900
those issues . But again , 30 days ago ,

18:43.030 --> 18:45.141
much of the things that I outlined to

18:45.141 --> 18:47.339
Sean to Jenny de Humira , uh those

18:47.349 --> 18:49.405
things had not happened yet . And so

18:49.405 --> 18:52.089
those are uh important steps in the

18:52.099 --> 18:54.321
right direction . We need to see more ,

18:54.321 --> 18:56.488
we want to see more and we're going to

18:56.488 --> 18:58.599
continue to be engaged on making sure

18:58.599 --> 19:00.655
that more happens . And ultimately ,

19:00.655 --> 19:02.877
though that these steps have a tangible

19:02.877 --> 19:04.821
result , that's what this is about

19:04.821 --> 19:04.540
talking about . The operational change

19:04.630 --> 19:06.797
is , you know , so far in the month of

19:06.797 --> 19:09.930
November , only 624 trucks have entered

19:09.939 --> 19:13.010
into Gaza according to Koga and the

19:13.020 --> 19:16.420
letter calls for 350 a day . So , are

19:16.430 --> 19:18.541
these operational changes that you've

19:18.541 --> 19:20.652
seen ? Can you reasonably assess that

19:20.652 --> 19:23.050
going forward in two days ? The amount

19:23.060 --> 19:25.227
of trucks that have been able to enter

19:25.227 --> 19:27.380
in almost two weeks will be . So I'm

19:27.390 --> 19:29.446
not going to speculate on a specific

19:29.446 --> 19:31.390
metric , Shannon . But that is our

19:31.390 --> 19:33.557
absolute hope , our hope is that these

19:33.557 --> 19:36.140
kinds of changes will make it possible

19:36.150 --> 19:38.317
for these kind of increased metrics to

19:38.317 --> 19:40.372
be seen . And now it is in , in , in

19:40.372 --> 19:42.660
inherently incumbent on the government

19:42.670 --> 19:44.670
of Israel on the United Nations and

19:44.670 --> 19:47.479
other partners to put that into action .

19:47.489 --> 19:50.079
And we certainly are ready to stand at

19:50.260 --> 19:53.109
the ready to be continued engaged on

19:53.119 --> 19:55.452
this to get that across the finish line .

19:55.452 --> 19:59.369
Also , you said one

19:59.380 --> 20:01.810
thing you said that where we were last

20:01.819 --> 20:05.270
week , um that uh that it certainly was

20:05.280 --> 20:08.469
not satisfactory a week ago . Um Should

20:08.479 --> 20:10.590
the interpretation be that the things

20:10.590 --> 20:12.423
in the ensuing week ? That's not

20:12.423 --> 20:14.423
satisfactory ? I know you said it's

20:14.423 --> 20:16.479
dire , that's not pristine . But are

20:16.479 --> 20:18.812
these satisfactory measures essentially ,

20:18.812 --> 20:20.923
uh these are steps that we think that

20:20.923 --> 20:23.209
are responsive in part to the letter

20:23.219 --> 20:25.996
that the sent it addresses some of the

20:26.006 --> 20:27.950
specific concerns that that letter

20:27.950 --> 20:29.895
raised again . I'll use the Jordan

20:29.895 --> 20:32.296
Corridor as an example . That letter

20:32.307 --> 20:34.196
from Secretary Lincoln and Austin

20:34.196 --> 20:36.196
expressed some areas of improvement

20:36.196 --> 20:38.529
that can be made on the Jordan Corridor .

20:38.529 --> 20:40.751
One of the steps that I shared with you

20:40.751 --> 20:42.977
today was an example of such a metric .

20:43.067 --> 20:45.067
There's also been additional border

20:45.067 --> 20:47.123
crossings open and additional routes

20:47.123 --> 20:49.345
opening . So there have been new things

20:49.345 --> 20:51.345
um that we're seeing uh the overall

20:51.345 --> 20:53.067
humanitarian situation in Gaza

20:53.104 --> 20:55.154
continues to be to to remain

20:55.163 --> 20:57.973
unsatisfactory . Uh But in the context

20:57.984 --> 21:00.093
of , of the letter . It's not about

21:00.104 --> 21:02.271
whether we find something satisfactory

21:02.271 --> 21:04.215
or not . It's that uh what are the

21:04.215 --> 21:06.734
actions that we're seeing ? Um these

21:06.744 --> 21:09.004
actions that we have seen ? Uh We think

21:09.014 --> 21:10.903
that these are steps in the right

21:10.903 --> 21:13.321
direction . We want to see more steps ,

21:13.331 --> 21:15.498
we want to see these , see these steps

21:15.498 --> 21:17.664
sustained over a significant period of

21:17.664 --> 21:20.140
time . And ultimately , we want to see

21:20.151 --> 21:23.811
these steps have a result on

21:23.821 --> 21:26.661
the situation on the ground and that's

21:26.671 --> 21:28.615
what we're going to continue to be

21:28.615 --> 21:30.727
engaged on . Sure , people have asked

21:30.727 --> 21:32.782
you about the th but obviously , Kim

21:32.782 --> 21:34.579
after the election and how the

21:34.589 --> 21:36.756
administration doesn't have uh doesn't

21:36.756 --> 21:38.978
have much time left . I mean , is there

21:38.978 --> 21:38.630
a sense that perhaps this is a sign

21:38.640 --> 21:40.640
that the leverage is gone that this

21:40.640 --> 21:42.862
current administration , has it stopped

21:42.862 --> 21:45.029
so long before again , Sean the 30 day

21:45.029 --> 21:47.030
time period was not about any uh

21:47.040 --> 21:49.040
particular day on a calendar and it

21:49.040 --> 21:50.873
certainly wasn't about electoral

21:50.873 --> 21:53.096
politics . It's that things take time ,

21:53.096 --> 21:55.096
it's that processes , especially in

21:55.096 --> 21:57.207
such a volatile region , uh sometimes

21:57.207 --> 22:00.569
take time to unearth and to , to move

22:00.579 --> 22:04.420
forward . Um And so today , we

22:04.430 --> 22:06.869
have seen some progress in that space .

22:06.880 --> 22:09.047
We've seen some additional crossings ,

22:09.047 --> 22:10.936
we've seen some additional routes

22:10.936 --> 22:12.547
within Gaza . We've seen the

22:12.547 --> 22:14.436
adjustments made to the uh to the

22:14.436 --> 22:17.819
Jordan Corridor . We uh are intend to

22:17.829 --> 22:20.107
continue to work out this and see more .

22:20.119 --> 22:22.341
Uh and just uh just a second , I mean ,

22:22.341 --> 22:24.949
the , um , but in , in terms of even it

22:24.959 --> 22:26.848
was a part of the , the electoral

22:26.848 --> 22:28.959
calendar . I mean , it's , uh , but ,

22:28.959 --> 22:31.181
but we're saying , but in terms of , if

22:31.181 --> 22:33.126
the US isn't taking action at this

22:33.126 --> 22:33.050
point and the clock is ticking anyway ,

22:33.060 --> 22:35.171
what makes you think that there would

22:35.171 --> 22:37.338
be any leverage that the US has at the

22:37.338 --> 22:39.560
end to the enemies ? Well , Sean , I'll

22:39.560 --> 22:41.504
just say that we all know what the

22:41.504 --> 22:43.616
election result was . I don't need to

22:43.616 --> 22:46.040
point that out to anybody . But here we

22:46.050 --> 22:48.050
are , you know , about a week and a

22:48.050 --> 22:50.579
half after that with some new progress

22:50.589 --> 22:52.700
points that we can point to with some

22:52.700 --> 22:54.922
actions that the Israeli government has

22:54.922 --> 22:57.089
taken that we think would not happened

22:57.089 --> 23:01.055
had it been for us intervention . So we

23:01.064 --> 23:03.175
continue to think that our role , our

23:03.175 --> 23:05.484
engagement , our diplomacy has a space ,

23:05.494 --> 23:07.327
it has a role to play . It has a

23:07.327 --> 23:09.545
serious role to play . That is at the

23:09.555 --> 23:11.611
core of what this secretary and this

23:11.611 --> 23:13.833
president believe . And we're certainly

23:13.833 --> 23:17.574
going to continue to engage and work

23:17.584 --> 23:19.905
really hard at this . Ultimately ,

23:21.670 --> 23:24.119
it's at the end of the day , not up to

23:24.130 --> 23:27.829
us , but we think that it

23:27.839 --> 23:31.290
was us engagement that led to these uh

23:31.300 --> 23:34.469
progress points being being met and

23:34.479 --> 23:36.701
we're going to continue to work on it .

23:36.701 --> 23:40.180
Can I just do one like Williams

23:41.030 --> 23:43.141
one additional aspect on the conflict

23:43.141 --> 23:45.819
of Qatar ? I'm sure you saw over the

23:45.829 --> 23:48.859
weekend , the the statements coming out

23:48.869 --> 23:51.091
of Qatar stepping back a little bit for

23:51.091 --> 23:53.258
mediation . Is this a disappointment ?

23:53.258 --> 23:55.380
Does this show that there perhaps are

23:55.390 --> 23:57.612
not as many hopes right now for broke ?

23:57.619 --> 23:59.520
So , so first Sean , let me say a

23:59.530 --> 24:02.260
couple of things we have going back as

24:02.270 --> 24:04.939
far as we all can remember , have been

24:04.949 --> 24:07.116
explicitly clear with countries around

24:07.116 --> 24:09.459
the world that certainly it can no

24:09.469 --> 24:13.199
longer be business as usual with Hamas

24:13.745 --> 24:15.801
that relates to decisions and things

24:15.801 --> 24:17.856
that are being discussed between our

24:17.856 --> 24:19.906
Qatari partners and Hamas . I will

24:19.916 --> 24:22.406
defer to Qatar to speak to that and I'm

24:22.416 --> 24:24.416
not going to get into those private

24:24.416 --> 24:26.416
conversations . We're continuing to

24:26.416 --> 24:28.305
pursue a number of initiatives to

24:28.305 --> 24:30.305
secure the release of hostages that

24:30.305 --> 24:32.472
work is ongoing . We have not given up

24:32.472 --> 24:35.316
hope and it's critical to us to get a

24:35.375 --> 24:37.725
deal done as soon as possible ,

24:37.735 --> 24:39.735
especially so that we can bring the

24:39.735 --> 24:41.957
remaining just home to their families .

24:41.957 --> 24:44.031
They have now been held in captivity

24:44.041 --> 24:48.001
for over 100 days in what can only be

24:48.011 --> 24:50.692
unimaginable conditions . And so ending

24:50.702 --> 24:52.369
the terrible suffering of the

24:52.369 --> 24:55.031
Palestinian people in Gaza also is

24:55.041 --> 24:57.208
tantamount and we're going to continue

24:57.208 --> 24:59.319
to work at this . Our view is that if

24:59.319 --> 25:01.374
Hamas wants a ceasefire , which they

25:01.374 --> 25:03.485
claim they do they need to engage and

25:03.485 --> 25:05.597
right now they're not just a one p do

25:05.597 --> 25:07.819
you , is your interpretation that the ,

25:07.819 --> 25:09.985
is it review that the uh the mediation

25:09.985 --> 25:12.208
by Qatar is , is basically done for the

25:12.208 --> 25:12.089
moment . I mean , is it , do you , do

25:12.099 --> 25:13.932
you actually see things that are

25:13.932 --> 25:16.099
ongoing or ? So let's , I mean , let's

25:16.099 --> 25:19.760
not forget Sean that going back

25:19.770 --> 25:21.714
to , I wanna say , even before the

25:21.714 --> 25:24.239
summer time , uh Qatar , the United

25:24.250 --> 25:25.959
States , Egypt have played uh

25:25.969 --> 25:29.540
immeasurable uh mediating roles um that

25:29.660 --> 25:32.839
uh I have no doubt will uh continue the

25:32.849 --> 25:35.071
role that they are gonna play . I'm not

25:35.071 --> 25:37.430
going to speculate on what

25:38.250 --> 25:42.160
the potential location of Hamas

25:42.170 --> 25:44.281
may or may not mean . Again , that is

25:44.281 --> 25:46.281
not something I'm going to speak to

25:46.281 --> 25:49.199
others . I will let the Qatari

25:49.209 --> 25:51.376
government speak to their own decision

25:51.376 --> 25:53.599
making and their own engagements side .

25:53.609 --> 25:55.739
Go ahead . Thank you . Going back to

25:55.989 --> 25:59.310
the last week when I asked Matt whether

25:59.319 --> 26:01.489
it included a figure , a number of

26:01.500 --> 26:03.556
trucks and so on . So do you believe

26:03.556 --> 26:05.778
that these trucks were met , the number

26:05.778 --> 26:07.944
of the trucks that were stipulated and

26:07.944 --> 26:10.280
were met ? So I answered this question

26:10.290 --> 26:13.510
already said , I literally answered

26:13.520 --> 26:15.687
that question . OK . So you , you feel

26:15.687 --> 26:18.469
that five minutes ago it was me . That

26:18.479 --> 26:20.535
is not what I said . What I said was

26:20.540 --> 26:23.739
that our hope is that the steps that we

26:23.750 --> 26:26.310
have seen taken will create the

26:26.319 --> 26:29.069
operational conditions to allow such a

26:29.079 --> 26:32.050
figure um to be able to enter it

26:32.359 --> 26:34.489
is incumbent on the government of

26:34.500 --> 26:36.389
Israel and the United Nations and

26:36.389 --> 26:38.444
others to make sure that we're doing

26:38.444 --> 26:40.611
everything we can to get there and the

26:40.611 --> 26:42.722
United States is going to continue to

26:42.722 --> 26:44.889
play a role when it comes to that . It

26:44.889 --> 26:47.084
is not about one singular step or one

26:47.094 --> 26:49.704
singular metric specifically said this

26:49.714 --> 26:51.770
is about all of these actions coming

26:51.770 --> 26:53.825
together and what that means for the

26:53.825 --> 26:55.992
humanitarian situation on the ground .

26:55.992 --> 26:58.214
OK . So uh you know , the letter really

26:58.214 --> 27:00.214
says either or I mean , it was very

27:00.214 --> 27:02.381
stark , very clear in its approach and

27:02.381 --> 27:04.974
so on . So would you say that this

27:05.060 --> 27:07.229
element of it either or is no longer ,

27:07.569 --> 27:10.800
no longer operative ? It's no there

27:10.810 --> 27:13.390
would be no action taken if Israel ,

27:13.400 --> 27:15.511
you know , if Israel back down on the

27:15.511 --> 27:17.979
aid and so on , that is the opposite of

27:17.989 --> 27:21.270
what I just said that this is an area

27:21.280 --> 27:23.336
that we are going to continue to pay

27:23.336 --> 27:25.447
close attention to . And if we do not

27:25.447 --> 27:27.669
see consistent progress in this space ,

27:27.669 --> 27:30.864
if we do not see um uh progress that we

27:30.875 --> 27:33.153
find to be satisfactory , we of course ,

27:33.153 --> 27:35.625
are going to continue to uh and we will

27:35.635 --> 27:37.704
enforce us law and we will make sure

27:37.714 --> 27:39.974
that uh we're doing so appropriately .

27:39.994 --> 27:42.935
This is not at all an announcement that

27:42.944 --> 27:44.500
the United States finds the

27:44.500 --> 27:46.864
humanitarian situation in Gaza

27:46.964 --> 27:49.795
satisfactory or that it's great or

27:49.824 --> 27:51.984
significantly improved . That is not

27:52.300 --> 27:54.709
the case , that's not the reality of

27:54.719 --> 27:56.775
the ground . The letter that the two

27:56.775 --> 27:58.997
secretaries sent was specifically about

27:58.997 --> 28:01.569
areas that we had some specific concern .

28:01.579 --> 28:04.229
Some suggested steps that which we

28:04.239 --> 28:06.390
outlined that we thought would help

28:06.400 --> 28:08.622
address the humanitarian situation . We

28:08.622 --> 28:10.622
have seen some of those steps being

28:10.622 --> 28:12.678
taken . Some of those steps have not

28:12.678 --> 28:14.844
been taken yet , but this is not about

28:16.180 --> 28:18.291
a singular step or not . What this is

28:18.291 --> 28:20.402
about is that the totality of actions

28:20.402 --> 28:22.670
including um actions that were not

28:22.680 --> 28:25.020
included in the letter . And uh

28:25.160 --> 28:27.579
ultimately , our goal is we want to see

28:27.589 --> 28:29.589
all of that , whether it was in the

28:29.589 --> 28:31.311
letter or not , whether it was

28:31.311 --> 28:33.145
something that the United States

28:33.145 --> 28:35.367
suggested or not , we want all of those

28:35.367 --> 28:37.422
things to contribute to an increased

28:37.422 --> 28:40.560
and a positive humanitarian situation

28:40.589 --> 28:42.900
that continues to not be the case . Ok .

28:42.910 --> 28:45.196
So let me ask you something , this

28:45.206 --> 28:47.428
aspect of the letter that said , if you

28:47.428 --> 28:49.595
don't do this , we will do this and so

28:49.595 --> 28:51.650
on . Is it still operative or has it

28:51.650 --> 28:53.817
been canceled or has it been expired ?

28:53.817 --> 28:56.166
Not canceled . We will always be

28:56.176 --> 28:58.406
effective implement of us law .

28:58.416 --> 29:00.605
Currently , we have not made an

29:00.615 --> 29:02.726
assessment that they are in violation

29:02.726 --> 29:05.015
of us law that of course can change at

29:05.026 --> 29:06.748
any time . We are watching the

29:06.748 --> 29:10.131
circumstances closely and we will make

29:10.141 --> 29:12.342
appropriate changes within our own

29:12.352 --> 29:14.852
policy . Should we need to if we assess

29:14.972 --> 29:17.083
that their compliance with us law has

29:17.083 --> 29:19.139
changed ? It's as simple as that . I

29:19.139 --> 29:20.972
wonder if , if we can get you to

29:20.972 --> 29:23.771
comment on what Mr said , the Minister

29:23.781 --> 29:26.082
of Finance about , you know , once the

29:26.092 --> 29:28.148
new president is sworn in they'll be

29:28.148 --> 29:30.203
able to annex the West Bank . Do you

29:30.203 --> 29:33.400
have any comment on that ? This

29:33.410 --> 29:35.188
President , President Biden and

29:35.188 --> 29:37.077
Secretary Blinken have reiterated

29:37.077 --> 29:39.219
consistently uh the clear position of

29:39.229 --> 29:41.390
the United States in support of a two

29:41.400 --> 29:43.579
state solution as part of a negotiated

29:43.589 --> 29:46.500
process that ultimately will provide an

29:46.510 --> 29:48.969
independent Palestinian state with uh

29:49.069 --> 29:51.069
appropriate security guarantees for

29:51.069 --> 29:53.540
Israel . Uh The comments that were made

29:53.550 --> 29:55.935
by this minister uh certainly are not

29:55.944 --> 29:58.814
conducive to building an enduring peace .

29:58.824 --> 30:00.954
And they are incredibly inconsistent

30:00.964 --> 30:02.908
with the principles that Secretary

30:02.908 --> 30:05.574
Blinken laid out in Tokyo last year .

30:05.785 --> 30:08.007
Well , the Cannes news agency and his R

30:08.084 --> 30:10.354
news agency also quoted the Prime

30:10.364 --> 30:12.586
Minister himself as saying exactly that

30:12.586 --> 30:14.808
and in a closed door meeting . So is it

30:14.808 --> 30:16.753
something that you raised with the

30:16.753 --> 30:19.540
Prime Minister or something that the

30:19.550 --> 30:21.828
president liked it to raise , you know ,

30:21.828 --> 30:24.050
as one of his last actions and so on to

30:24.050 --> 30:26.050
bring upon this Prime Minister that

30:26.069 --> 30:28.236
they , you know , that the settlements

30:28.236 --> 30:30.458
are illegal , that settlements ought to

30:30.458 --> 30:33.300
stop that the West Bank should remain a

30:33.310 --> 30:35.989
viable land for a Palestinian state .

30:36.000 --> 30:39.910
Uh s at the corner of our approach

30:39.920 --> 30:43.229
to policy when it comes to this region ,

30:43.239 --> 30:45.239
specifically , policy that we think

30:45.239 --> 30:47.183
impacts the Israeli people and the

30:47.183 --> 30:49.183
Palestinian people at the center of

30:49.183 --> 30:52.930
that is a uh is , is a constant and

30:52.939 --> 30:54.939
clear position of the United States

30:54.939 --> 30:57.272
commitment to a to a two state solution .

30:57.280 --> 30:59.447
I will let other people speak to their

30:59.447 --> 31:01.558
own points of view , Tom . Go ahead .

31:01.558 --> 31:03.502
Can I just press you on the trucks

31:03.502 --> 31:06.989
because I didn't hear , uh you said

31:07.000 --> 31:09.278
you've answered questions about trucks ,

31:09.278 --> 31:11.619
but how many trucks per day have

31:11.630 --> 31:15.199
entered Gaza over the last 30 days ? I

31:15.209 --> 31:17.839
don't have a specific number over the

31:17.849 --> 31:20.319
past 30 days for you . Tom , isn't that ,

31:20.349 --> 31:23.030
that was a pretty profound part of the

31:23.040 --> 31:26.199
letter which said surge , all forms of

31:26.209 --> 31:28.431
humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza

31:28.431 --> 31:31.819
by enabling a minimum 350 . So over the

31:31.829 --> 31:34.650
course from November 1st through

31:34.660 --> 31:37.589
November 9th , I don't have uh updated

31:37.599 --> 31:39.766
metric beyond that , but at least from

31:39.766 --> 31:41.932
November 1st to November 9th , we have

31:41.932 --> 31:45.530
seen 404 trucks cross into Gaza

31:45.540 --> 31:47.540
again , Tom . The point is not that

31:47.540 --> 31:49.373
this number is satisfactory . We

31:49.373 --> 31:52.609
certainly don't feel it is . But the

31:52.619 --> 31:54.790
point here is that some of the steps

31:54.800 --> 31:57.689
that we've seen taken it is our hope

31:57.699 --> 31:59.849
that those steps have created the

31:59.859 --> 32:02.329
operational conditions to allow for an

32:02.339 --> 32:04.395
additional influx of trucks to allow

32:04.395 --> 32:06.561
for an additional . In the letter said

32:06.561 --> 32:08.783
the letter says enable a minimum of 350

32:08.783 --> 32:11.006
trucks per day to enter Gaza . And this

32:11.006 --> 32:13.228
is in the context of a letter that says

32:13.228 --> 32:15.450
you've got 30 days to do it and failure

32:15.450 --> 32:17.672
to demonstrate a commitment to this may

32:17.672 --> 32:19.728
have implications under us law . The

32:19.728 --> 32:21.839
the United Nations says an average of

32:21.839 --> 32:24.790
37 trucks a day in the month of October

32:24.920 --> 32:27.087
that's 1/10 of what you've asked for .

32:27.400 --> 32:29.344
Certainly , there needs to be more

32:29.344 --> 32:31.678
progress in the , when it comes to , uh ,

32:31.678 --> 32:33.900
the metrics for trucks . Tom . Um , but

32:33.900 --> 32:35.844
again , the , the point that I was

32:35.844 --> 32:37.900
making and I'll reiterate it here is

32:37.900 --> 32:40.219
that we , uh , our hope is that these

32:40.229 --> 32:42.340
kinds of changes have allowed for the

32:42.340 --> 32:44.451
operational , uh , adjustments to see

32:44.451 --> 32:47.140
an additional influx of trucks and to

32:47.150 --> 32:49.579
see if that metric can be met or not .

32:49.699 --> 32:51.930
Uh And if it is not , uh of course ,

32:51.994 --> 32:54.216
we're gonna press and continue to raise

32:54.216 --> 32:56.383
this with our partners in Israel . And

32:56.383 --> 32:58.550
ultimately , as you heard me say , the

32:58.550 --> 33:00.550
government of Israel and the United

33:00.550 --> 33:02.550
Nations have a responsibility to do

33:02.550 --> 33:04.661
everything they can to make sure that

33:04.661 --> 33:06.827
that uh number is met . Um As you just

33:06.827 --> 33:08.883
heard me say at the top of this , we

33:08.883 --> 33:10.994
have seen , you know , this reopening

33:10.994 --> 33:13.161
of eras , uh this new crossing at Kisu

33:13.161 --> 33:15.272
and we've seen some additional routes

33:15.272 --> 33:17.805
open up within Gaza . Uh these things

33:17.814 --> 33:21.489
we think will help uh hopefully

33:21.500 --> 33:23.667
help create the space to allow that to

33:23.667 --> 33:25.667
happen . Yeah , I mean , I've heard

33:25.667 --> 33:25.569
that about the measures , but I'm just

33:25.579 --> 33:27.690
asking about what you demanded in the

33:27.690 --> 33:29.468
letter . So then we had end the

33:29.468 --> 33:31.357
isolation of the North that was a

33:31.357 --> 33:33.301
specific demand in the letter have

33:33.301 --> 33:35.301
Israelis ended the isolation of the

33:35.301 --> 33:37.412
North . We have seen some restoration

33:37.412 --> 33:39.412
of deliveries to the north that had

33:39.412 --> 33:41.579
been closed for a few weeks first , as

33:41.579 --> 33:43.690
you heard me say to Gaza City as well

33:43.690 --> 33:45.857
as this week into the area surrounding

33:45.857 --> 33:48.190
Jabalia . Well , you said around Jibali ,

33:48.190 --> 33:50.357
you didn't say in Jabalia areas around

33:50.357 --> 33:52.523
Jabalia first to Gaza City . So that's

33:52.523 --> 33:54.635
not inside Jabalia , which presumably

33:54.635 --> 33:57.250
remains under siege . Tom I , I'm , I'm

33:57.260 --> 33:59.729
not gonna get into a specific tit for

33:59.739 --> 34:01.683
tat on every item in , in , in the

34:01.683 --> 34:03.989
letter . The letter was a suggestion of

34:04.000 --> 34:06.056
steps that we think that they should

34:06.056 --> 34:08.278
take . Uh We outlined a number of steps

34:08.278 --> 34:10.444
that , that , that , that we wanted to

34:10.444 --> 34:12.500
see , take place . We have seen them

34:12.500 --> 34:14.722
take significant actions , ultimately ,

34:14.722 --> 34:16.944
what matters is not one specific step .

34:16.944 --> 34:18.667
Uh But the totality of actions

34:18.667 --> 34:21.000
including actions that as I said to say ,

34:21.000 --> 34:23.000
were not even necessarily la in the

34:23.000 --> 34:24.944
letter or not . And whether all of

34:24.944 --> 34:27.165
those together lead to an increase in

34:27.175 --> 34:29.286
humanitarian assistance , that's what

34:29.286 --> 34:31.453
we're looking at and that's what we're

34:31.453 --> 34:33.175
going to continue to pay close

34:33.175 --> 34:33.125
attention . But it's important , isn't

34:33.135 --> 34:35.135
it ? Because there's 100,000 people

34:35.135 --> 34:37.357
trapped in that besieged area according

34:37.357 --> 34:39.413
to the United Nations where they say

34:39.413 --> 34:41.524
there's been no food , there has been

34:41.524 --> 34:43.579
no water , there have been daily and

34:43.579 --> 34:45.413
repeated denials of humanitarian

34:45.413 --> 34:47.468
convoys by the Israeli authorities ,

34:47.468 --> 34:49.579
which seems in stark contrast to what

34:49.579 --> 34:51.468
you're suggesting on UN R A . The

34:51.468 --> 34:53.357
letter also says that the Israeli

34:53.357 --> 34:55.357
authorities should do everything to

34:55.357 --> 34:57.579
prevent this legislation that would ban

34:57.579 --> 34:59.746
Un R A and prevent contact with UN R .

34:59.746 --> 35:01.968
Now . They've clearly plowed ahead with

35:01.968 --> 35:04.024
that and ignored that too . So you ,

35:04.024 --> 35:06.246
are they listening to you in the letter

35:06.246 --> 35:08.413
on that point of the green on the UN R

35:08.413 --> 35:08.249
legislation ? Specifically , Tom ,

35:08.259 --> 35:10.388
there are over two months to go until

35:10.398 --> 35:12.398
the legislation is implemented . We

35:12.398 --> 35:14.565
continue to have ongoing conversations

35:14.565 --> 35:16.787
about it and we're going to continue to

35:16.787 --> 35:18.954
discuss the implementation of this law

35:18.954 --> 35:21.120
with the government of Israel and make

35:21.120 --> 35:23.065
clear that uh that steps that deny

35:23.065 --> 35:25.065
vital assistance to civilians could

35:25.065 --> 35:27.065
have implications under our law and

35:27.065 --> 35:29.585
policy . I'm not gonna speculate on

35:29.595 --> 35:31.706
what exactly that may or may not look

35:31.706 --> 35:34.039
like . Given that , as I said , the law ,

35:34.039 --> 35:36.545
um it isn't being implemented yet .

35:36.555 --> 35:38.444
There's still 22 months ago , but

35:38.444 --> 35:40.666
certainly it continues to be an area of

35:40.666 --> 35:42.777
concern and one that we're continuing

35:42.777 --> 35:44.944
to raise with the government of Israel

35:44.944 --> 35:47.166
and will continue to do so , I just , I

35:47.166 --> 35:49.277
mean , isn't there a profound point ?

35:49.277 --> 35:51.333
What you were trying to do was end a

35:51.333 --> 35:53.333
siege around northern Gaza that was

35:53.333 --> 35:55.444
trapping 100,000 civilians to prevent

35:55.444 --> 35:57.666
them starving to death . You know , and

35:57.666 --> 35:59.888
we've heard now Joseph Perel Eu Foreign

35:59.888 --> 36:01.999
Affairs Representative saying the use

36:01.999 --> 36:04.222
of hunger as a weapon of war is against

36:04.222 --> 36:06.111
international humanitarian law in

36:06.111 --> 36:08.166
relation to northern Gaza . Uh We've

36:08.166 --> 36:10.277
had multiple aid agencies saying that

36:10.277 --> 36:12.388
they're concerned about starvation in

36:12.388 --> 36:14.388
the North . So you may you set this

36:14.388 --> 36:16.388
letter out with a clear objective ,

36:16.419 --> 36:18.641
which was about the north of Gaza . And

36:18.641 --> 36:20.975
all I can see that you've said today is ,

36:20.975 --> 36:23.197
you know , an extra crossings opened up

36:23.197 --> 36:25.308
1/10 of the trucks that you asked for

36:25.308 --> 36:27.363
are entering Gaza but not getting to

36:27.363 --> 36:29.540
the besieged area . So as far as I can

36:29.550 --> 36:31.439
see from what you've said today ,

36:31.439 --> 36:33.494
absolutely nothing that you've asked

36:33.494 --> 36:33.370
for is actually happening . Well ,

36:33.379 --> 36:35.601
first , Tom , I think it's important to

36:35.601 --> 36:37.768
remember that these objectives and our

36:37.768 --> 36:39.823
strategic goals don't start and stop

36:39.823 --> 36:42.046
just because these , this 30 day window

36:42.046 --> 36:41.649
is up . This is something that we're

36:41.659 --> 36:44.310
going to continue to work at and engage

36:44.320 --> 36:46.431
closely with our Israelis on with our

36:46.431 --> 36:48.598
Israeli partners . On . Additionally ,

36:48.598 --> 36:50.580
it is more than just opening up a

36:50.590 --> 36:53.570
number of crossings though . Yes , that

36:53.580 --> 36:55.524
is part of this . We have seen the

36:55.524 --> 36:57.302
reopening of , we've seen a new

36:57.302 --> 36:59.358
crossing at Kisu and we've seen this

36:59.358 --> 37:01.080
adjustment being made with the

37:01.080 --> 37:03.136
Jordanian Corridor . We've seen some

37:03.136 --> 37:05.302
additional delivery routes within Gaza

37:05.302 --> 37:07.524
de deliveries restored to Northern Gaza

37:07.524 --> 37:09.636
and areas surrounding Jabalia . We've

37:09.636 --> 37:11.747
seen the humanitarian zone in Mousavi

37:11.747 --> 37:13.691
expanded and we have also seen the

37:13.691 --> 37:15.965
institution of periodic operational

37:15.975 --> 37:18.604
pauses . There are absolutely more

37:18.614 --> 37:20.781
additional steps that we would like to

37:20.781 --> 37:22.781
see and we'll continue to press and

37:22.781 --> 37:24.892
make sure that those are happening as

37:24.892 --> 37:28.504
swiftly as possible about Gaza and can

37:28.514 --> 37:31.459
we move to Lebanon after that ? I just

37:31.469 --> 37:33.469
wanna also circle around what uh my

37:33.469 --> 37:35.729
colleagues here said uh regarding the

37:35.739 --> 37:38.770
assessment . You are now saying that

37:38.790 --> 37:40.512
your assessment is there is no

37:40.512 --> 37:42.679
violation , there are some steps being

37:42.679 --> 37:45.469
taken and I keep going back to what

37:45.479 --> 37:49.239
Matt said uh and earlier in the last

37:49.250 --> 37:52.540
few weeks uh ago in his

37:52.550 --> 37:54.494
comments about that is also on the

37:54.494 --> 37:56.760
ground , but I will go with you that

37:56.770 --> 37:59.030
you are satisfied with the steps that

37:59.040 --> 38:01.096
Israel is taking . You are demanding

38:01.096 --> 38:03.318
more , you are demanding more of aid to

38:03.318 --> 38:05.419
come inside Gaza . But my question ,

38:05.620 --> 38:09.419
what makes you assess that the current

38:09.879 --> 38:13.560
condition in Gaza is not because

38:13.570 --> 38:16.679
Israel is preventing aid from coming in

38:16.919 --> 38:19.141
because you are dismissing what the aid

38:19.141 --> 38:21.830
agency is saying as their own

38:21.840 --> 38:23.896
assessment that you don't share it .

38:23.896 --> 38:26.580
But what is the reason then for the

38:26.590 --> 38:28.840
situation especially in northern Gaza

38:28.850 --> 38:32.060
to be this dire if it's not Israel

38:32.070 --> 38:34.750
violating us law or international

38:34.760 --> 38:37.679
humanitarian , what we can speak to is

38:37.689 --> 38:39.578
what we are seeing and what we're

38:39.578 --> 38:42.260
seeing is some steps being taken .

38:42.270 --> 38:44.429
Certainly . Uh the humanitarian

38:44.439 --> 38:47.370
situation large in Gaza continues to be

38:47.429 --> 38:49.596
uh dire and we're going to continue to

38:49.596 --> 38:52.510
work at this um uh as aggressively as

38:52.520 --> 38:55.949
we can . Uh the point of the letter was

38:55.959 --> 38:58.330
that the secretaries laid out that in

38:58.340 --> 39:00.830
this letter that as we've made clear in

39:00.840 --> 39:03.118
previous engagements with the Israelis ,

39:03.118 --> 39:05.118
uh that it is our responsibility to

39:05.118 --> 39:07.239
continuously assess um Israel's

39:07.250 --> 39:09.060
assurances as it relates to the

39:09.070 --> 39:11.780
facilitation of humanitarian aid ,

39:11.790 --> 39:13.734
we're gonna continue to make those

39:13.734 --> 39:15.957
assessments on the actions Israel takes

39:15.957 --> 39:18.068
or doesn't take as we have done since

39:18.068 --> 39:20.123
the beginning of this conflict . And

39:20.123 --> 39:22.300
based on some of the uh small steps

39:22.310 --> 39:24.989
that I have laid out for you today . Uh

39:25.000 --> 39:27.167
First again , I would just stress that

39:27.167 --> 39:29.111
this is work that continues and is

39:29.111 --> 39:31.333
ongoing and it does not start or stop ,

39:31.333 --> 39:33.333
but based on some of those steps as

39:33.333 --> 39:35.444
well as additional steps , uh we have

39:35.444 --> 39:37.667
not made an assessment that they are in

39:37.667 --> 39:39.778
violation of us law . Uh We are gonna

39:39.778 --> 39:42.000
continue to watch this space though and

39:42.000 --> 39:43.944
pay close attention uh and we will

39:43.944 --> 39:46.056
effectively implement us law . And if

39:46.056 --> 39:48.189
we see actions or steps that are

39:48.199 --> 39:51.229
inconsistent with uh the responsibility

39:51.239 --> 39:53.128
and assurances that Israel has to

39:53.128 --> 39:56.030
facilitate the delivery of us aid , we

39:56.040 --> 39:58.909
of course will appropriately um uh

39:58.919 --> 40:01.649
implement us law , but if they are not

40:01.659 --> 40:04.909
in violation . So from November 1st to

40:04.919 --> 40:07.510
November 9 , there was four on 404

40:07.520 --> 40:10.159
trucks come in , right . It's like 45

40:10.169 --> 40:13.560
to 44 trucks a day . This is way beyond

40:13.570 --> 40:17.040
us as Tom said , 350 why it's not

40:17.060 --> 40:20.030
350 according to your assessment . So

40:20.070 --> 40:22.479
again , I don't want us to go down a

40:22.489 --> 40:24.889
rabbit hole of specific truck numbers .

40:24.899 --> 40:27.350
What our point of view is that some of

40:27.360 --> 40:29.360
these operational changes that they

40:29.360 --> 40:31.582
have made that I have outlined in great

40:31.582 --> 40:33.471
detail . Now , at this point , we

40:33.471 --> 40:35.582
believe that it should be possible to

40:35.582 --> 40:37.527
increase the number of trucks that

40:37.527 --> 40:39.582
makes it into Gaza every day . It is

40:39.582 --> 40:41.638
now incumbent upon the government of

40:41.638 --> 40:43.916
Israel , the United Nations and others .

40:43.916 --> 40:46.138
Now that there are these uh operational

40:46.138 --> 40:48.138
changes that we think can help with

40:48.138 --> 40:50.156
throughput can help with delivery

40:50.166 --> 40:52.635
within Gaza that can help with getting

40:52.645 --> 40:54.916
the aid where it needs to go . Our hope

40:54.926 --> 40:57.148
is that with those changes , we can see

40:57.148 --> 41:00.122
that number achieved before we moved to

41:00.132 --> 41:02.842
Lebanon . Why did you bother to put in

41:02.852 --> 41:05.261
350 trucks a day ? If it doesn't matter ,

41:05.271 --> 41:07.741
I'm not going to speak to the , I mean ,

41:07.751 --> 41:09.751
you keep saying you're not going to

41:09.751 --> 41:11.751
speak to specific metrics , but you

41:11.751 --> 41:13.862
guys are the ones that made this . We

41:13.862 --> 41:16.084
didn't , we didn't give the Israelis 30

41:16.084 --> 41:18.307
days to , to , to do all this stuff you

41:18.307 --> 41:20.418
guys did and now those 30 days are up

41:20.418 --> 41:22.529
and as you heard from everyone so far

41:23.159 --> 41:25.381
and these aid groups that came out last

41:25.381 --> 41:27.750
night , they haven't met them . And all

41:27.760 --> 41:29.816
of a sudden you say that the metrics

41:29.816 --> 41:31.816
that you put out don't matter . I ,

41:31.816 --> 41:33.871
we've never said , I never said that

41:33.871 --> 41:36.350
they don't matter what I said was , I

41:36.540 --> 41:38.651
mean , these are metrics exactly like

41:38.651 --> 41:40.984
you've put out . It's not a rabbit hole .

41:40.984 --> 41:43.040
It's meaning I don't want to take up

41:43.040 --> 41:45.096
time getting into a specific tit for

41:45.096 --> 41:47.820
tat on like truck numbers in the letter ,

41:49.239 --> 41:51.239
those metrics , the metrics and the

41:51.239 --> 41:53.461
number of , let me just be very clear ,

41:53.461 --> 41:55.517
the metrics and the number of trucks

41:55.517 --> 41:57.183
getting into Gaza every day .

41:57.183 --> 41:59.580
Absolutely matter . It is . I I said

41:59.590 --> 42:01.701
that to him because I did not want to

42:01.701 --> 42:03.368
get into a specific technical

42:03.368 --> 42:05.701
conversation on inflows and outlo flows .

42:05.701 --> 42:07.757
I don't have uh more updated numbers

42:07.757 --> 42:07.209
for you beyond the ones what I said to

42:07.219 --> 42:09.850
Tom met the , the , the metrics

42:09.860 --> 42:11.971
absolutely matter . The point that we

42:11.971 --> 42:14.082
are making the , the two broad points

42:14.082 --> 42:16.138
that we made is that one on specific

42:16.138 --> 42:17.860
truck numbers . We think these

42:17.860 --> 42:20.082
operational changes that we've made can

42:20.082 --> 42:22.193
help get us to that goal . That's the

42:22.193 --> 42:24.360
first point . The second point is that

42:24.360 --> 42:26.471
all of these steps and even the steps

42:26.471 --> 42:28.638
that have yet to be taken and even the

42:28.638 --> 42:30.860
steps that maybe were not even laid out

42:30.860 --> 42:33.027
in the letter , the point is not about

42:33.027 --> 42:35.138
specific steps . It is about what the

42:35.138 --> 42:37.193
totality of their contribution is to

42:37.193 --> 42:39.249
the humanitarian situation in Gaza .

42:39.249 --> 42:41.193
That's what we're focused on . One

42:41.193 --> 42:43.138
thing when you said we're going to

42:43.138 --> 42:45.193
continue to make those assessments .

42:45.193 --> 42:48.435
Can you point us to one assessment on

42:48.445 --> 42:52.175
any kind of ial violation that the

42:52.185 --> 42:54.074
administration has done since the

42:54.074 --> 42:57.350
beginning of Gaza War , Humira since

42:57.689 --> 43:00.649
October 7th , when we have seen certain

43:00.659 --> 43:03.750
things take place that are inconsistent

43:03.760 --> 43:06.639
with , uh perhaps , maybe how we would

43:06.649 --> 43:09.120
have gone about such a endeavor or they

43:09.129 --> 43:11.462
are inconsistent with international law .

43:11.462 --> 43:13.909
We have raised those and addressed

43:13.919 --> 43:16.330
those uh specifically , you have seen

43:16.389 --> 43:19.939
things that were in what I am talking

43:19.949 --> 43:22.659
about specifically is incidents that

43:22.669 --> 43:25.691
could potentially have components of

43:25.701 --> 43:28.552
that . An example I would give is the

43:28.562 --> 43:30.991
incident involving world central

43:31.001 --> 43:33.057
kitchen workers . When that incident

43:33.057 --> 43:35.491
happened , we were very quick to stress

43:35.501 --> 43:38.211
the importance of the need for further

43:38.221 --> 43:40.277
deconfliction mechanisms for greater

43:40.277 --> 43:42.332
communication . So when we have seen

43:42.332 --> 43:44.332
things Humira , we have raised them

43:44.332 --> 43:46.632
directly with our partners . But you're

43:46.642 --> 43:48.809
saying we're going to continue to make

43:48.809 --> 43:50.991
those assessments . And I'm asking you

43:51.122 --> 43:53.511
whether like I have not seen any of

43:53.521 --> 43:55.533
that we are . So where are those ,

43:55.803 --> 43:58.343
those processes Humira are ongoing and

43:58.354 --> 44:00.521
they have been ongoing . We've spent a

44:00.521 --> 44:02.743
great deal talking about the many lines

44:02.743 --> 44:04.854
of efforts that the United States has

44:04.854 --> 44:07.021
to assess those kinds of processes and

44:07.021 --> 44:09.187
that work will continue . Just a broad

44:09.187 --> 44:11.354
question . Are you at all worried that

44:11.354 --> 44:13.076
this will have an impact on us

44:13.076 --> 44:15.654
credibility ? You have clearly put out

44:15.664 --> 44:19.664
a letter laid out specific criteria and

44:19.674 --> 44:22.954
gave a specific deadline and right now ,

44:23.206 --> 44:26.315
you are basically not making an

44:26.325 --> 44:29.916
assessment line by line by line or

44:30.105 --> 44:32.216
you're effectively saying , oh , that

44:32.216 --> 44:34.383
deadline was just to encourage them to

44:34.383 --> 44:36.516
take some steps . Are you worried at

44:36.525 --> 44:39.035
all that this might hurt you know , us

44:39.045 --> 44:41.295
credibility because you don't seem to

44:41.305 --> 44:43.361
be following through first . I think

44:43.361 --> 44:45.416
you're putting words in my mouth . I

44:45.416 --> 44:48.156
did not say that number two , let us

44:48.166 --> 44:50.388
not forget and lose sight again . And I

44:50.388 --> 44:52.929
spoke a little bit to Sean , that um

44:52.939 --> 44:55.120
some of the steps that we are seeing

44:55.129 --> 44:57.500
being taken are a direct result of us

44:57.510 --> 44:59.566
intervention over the course of this

44:59.570 --> 45:01.860
entire conflict . We have seen steps

45:01.870 --> 45:04.820
that are undertaken because of us

45:04.830 --> 45:07.370
intervention and the role and the kinds

45:07.379 --> 45:09.435
of engagement that our diplomacy has

45:09.435 --> 45:12.139
had . So uh that I take that to mean

45:12.149 --> 45:14.093
that we are credible voices and we

45:14.093 --> 45:16.205
continue to be credible actors in the

45:16.205 --> 45:18.316
region and time and time again , what

45:18.316 --> 45:20.093
we have found to be true to our

45:20.093 --> 45:22.209
engagement in our in our diplomacy is

45:22.219 --> 45:25.669
that perhaps interlocutors may disagree

45:25.679 --> 45:27.735
with the United States on policy may

45:27.735 --> 45:29.568
disagree with our approach , may

45:29.568 --> 45:31.969
disagree with a policy that other

45:31.979 --> 45:34.090
countries are pursuing . But time and

45:34.090 --> 45:36.201
time again , we hear the call for the

45:36.201 --> 45:38.201
United States to continue to have a

45:38.201 --> 45:40.257
seat at the table and for the United

45:40.257 --> 45:42.312
States to continue to engage um from

45:42.312 --> 45:44.423
the immediate onset of October 7th to

45:44.423 --> 45:46.312
now , there have been a number of

45:46.312 --> 45:48.423
instances in which our engagement has

45:48.423 --> 45:51.449
unearthed results , results as it

45:51.459 --> 45:53.681
relates to the conflict results , as it

45:53.681 --> 45:55.903
relates to humanitarian aid . What have

45:55.903 --> 45:59.600
you ? Ok . I imagine Michelle also

45:59.610 --> 46:01.721
wants to go to Lebanon but go ahead .

46:01.721 --> 46:03.332
There have been reported now

46:03.332 --> 46:05.499
circulating in the last couple of days

46:05.499 --> 46:09.330
that a deal or some kind of deal in

46:09.340 --> 46:11.919
Lebanon could be reached lately . Now

46:11.929 --> 46:15.780
by journalists are quoting the

46:15.790 --> 46:18.679
special Envoy Hochstein that we are

46:18.689 --> 46:21.439
very close to reaching a deal of to

46:21.449 --> 46:23.820
cease hostilities in Lebanon . Can you

46:23.860 --> 46:26.810
elaborate ? So look , I'm not going to

46:26.820 --> 46:29.409
speculate on what's in the press

46:29.419 --> 46:31.590
reporting and not what I will say is

46:31.600 --> 46:33.822
that ultimately , we feel strongly that

46:33.822 --> 46:35.933
the only viable path as it relates to

46:35.933 --> 46:39.590
Lebanon is a durable peace is one that

46:39.600 --> 46:41.767
has a diplomatic resolution . One that

46:42.110 --> 46:44.277
gives a viable path to a durable peace

46:44.277 --> 46:46.388
and security in the region . One that

46:46.388 --> 46:48.610
you've heard us say this before creates

46:48.610 --> 46:50.832
the conditions for civilians to be able

46:50.832 --> 46:52.832
to return home on both sides of the

46:52.832 --> 46:55.054
border . But I am not going to get into

46:55.054 --> 46:57.110
the specifics of the process and the

46:57.110 --> 46:59.054
negotiations beyond that . My last

46:59.054 --> 47:01.419
question is that what has been reported

47:01.429 --> 47:03.439
that the Israeli demands is for

47:03.500 --> 47:06.729
Hezbollah to abide by the 1701 , your

47:06.739 --> 47:08.860
resolution and withdraw above the

47:08.870 --> 47:12.429
Litani River disarm uh

47:12.439 --> 47:16.370
and uh the Israelis be able to to

47:16.379 --> 47:19.070
go back to their cities and , and the

47:19.080 --> 47:21.929
towns in the North Hezbollah

47:21.939 --> 47:25.530
yesterday said that nobody is talking

47:25.540 --> 47:28.370
to them regarding any deal coming

47:28.379 --> 47:30.601
around . They know that there have been

47:30.601 --> 47:32.657
some diplomatic movements around but

47:32.657 --> 47:34.879
nobody is talking to them and they will

47:34.879 --> 47:37.239
never disarm . Does this give you any

47:37.250 --> 47:40.840
hope ? That sentiment is exactly why

47:40.850 --> 47:42.572
you and I are even having this

47:42.572 --> 47:45.495
conversation because in 2006 , uh 1701

47:45.504 --> 47:47.584
was pretty explicit in what the

47:47.594 --> 47:49.895
expectation was . It was to withdraw uh

47:50.215 --> 47:52.495
up past the Litani River and for

47:52.584 --> 47:55.274
Hezbollah to disarm we have yet to see

47:55.284 --> 47:57.395
that . And that is why we continue to

47:57.395 --> 48:00.225
be in this place uh where we are . Um

48:00.235 --> 48:03.625
uh we continue to be engaged on this .

48:03.635 --> 48:06.504
It , it is no secret uh what the United

48:06.514 --> 48:08.792
States , what the government of Israel ,

48:08.792 --> 48:10.458
what other um uh multilateral

48:10.458 --> 48:12.969
institutions want to see happen as it

48:12.979 --> 48:14.868
relates to Lebanon . It certainly

48:14.868 --> 48:16.812
should be no secret to Hezbollah .

48:16.812 --> 48:18.868
We've been talking about this pretty

48:18.868 --> 48:21.090
consistently for some time . We want to

48:21.090 --> 48:24.139
see 1701 effectively implemented . We

48:24.149 --> 48:27.010
want to see it in place and we continue

48:27.020 --> 48:29.544
to believe that a diplomatic resolution

48:29.554 --> 48:31.945
that is encompassing of that certainly

48:31.955 --> 48:34.177
is the only way that we're going to get

48:34.177 --> 48:36.233
to the conditions we need so that as

48:36.233 --> 48:38.177
you noted , civilians can get home

48:40.344 --> 48:42.534
the diplomatic solution in the

48:42.554 --> 48:45.155
Netherlands , especially that an

48:45.165 --> 48:48.225
Israeli official has visited the Moscow .

48:48.235 --> 48:50.804
And can you rely on Russia to prevent

48:51.370 --> 48:54.669
uh Iran and the Syrian regime from

48:54.679 --> 48:57.260
smuggling arms to Hezbollah to Leban ?

48:57.270 --> 49:00.179
Uh Look , I I will let uh Minister

49:00.189 --> 49:03.520
Dermer speak to any of his travels uh

49:03.560 --> 49:05.782
as it relates to Moscow , I'm certainly

49:05.782 --> 49:07.616
not going to get into that . And

49:07.616 --> 49:09.780
additionally , I'm not going to

49:09.790 --> 49:11.901
speculate on what kind of role Russia

49:11.901 --> 49:14.739
may or may not play as I started to

49:14.750 --> 49:16.806
talk today about the second phase of

49:16.806 --> 49:19.139
the war in Lebanon . Are you aware of

49:19.149 --> 49:21.860
this ? I will I will let them speak to

49:21.870 --> 49:25.090
their own military operations . But as

49:25.100 --> 49:27.322
I was speaking to your colleague , what

49:27.322 --> 49:29.322
we want to see is a diplomatic role

49:29.322 --> 49:31.100
solution . One that creates the

49:31.100 --> 49:33.267
conditions for civilians on both sides

49:33.267 --> 49:35.378
of the blue line to be able to return

49:35.378 --> 49:39.022
home , Jenny Gods on Russia and

49:39.032 --> 49:42.272
North Korea . Russian President Putin

49:42.443 --> 49:46.173
rationalized the dispatch of North

49:46.183 --> 49:49.103
Korea troops by signing a military

49:49.113 --> 49:51.936
treaty in North Korea and Russia ,

49:51.966 --> 49:55.365
which was ratified by the Russian

49:55.375 --> 49:58.285
parliament . He also said the joint

49:58.295 --> 50:00.966
military exercises would be possible

50:00.976 --> 50:03.516
between North Korea and Russia . What

50:03.525 --> 50:06.926
is your reaction ? So you've heard us

50:06.936 --> 50:09.047
talk about this before Jenny . We are

50:09.047 --> 50:10.880
incredibly concerned by Russia's

50:10.880 --> 50:14.666
decision to turn to the D pr to

50:14.676 --> 50:16.565
supply soldiers to continue their

50:16.565 --> 50:19.120
brutal war against Ukraine . Uh Today ,

50:19.129 --> 50:22.770
I can confirm that over 10,000 D pr K

50:22.780 --> 50:25.080
soldiers have been sent to Eastern

50:25.090 --> 50:28.409
Russia and most of them have uh moved

50:28.419 --> 50:31.639
to the far western Kursk Oblast where

50:31.649 --> 50:33.760
they have begun engaging in combat uh

50:33.760 --> 50:36.939
operations with Russian forces . Uh

50:36.949 --> 50:39.770
Russian forces have trained the D PR K

50:39.780 --> 50:43.330
soldiers in artillery in UAV and basic

50:43.340 --> 50:45.669
infantry operations including trench

50:45.679 --> 50:48.788
clearing , uh which are critical for

50:48.798 --> 50:51.357
front line operations . Uh However ,

50:51.367 --> 50:53.988
Russia's battlefield success using

50:53.998 --> 50:56.837
these D Pr K troops will in large part

50:56.847 --> 50:59.308
be dictated by how well the Russians

50:59.318 --> 51:01.988
can integrate them into their military .

51:02.068 --> 51:04.124
Uh Some of the challenges they would

51:04.124 --> 51:06.346
need to overcome our interoperability ,

51:06.346 --> 51:08.179
the language barrier command and

51:08.179 --> 51:10.179
control and communications . Uh The

51:10.179 --> 51:12.179
United States is consulting closely

51:12.179 --> 51:14.346
with our allies and partners and other

51:14.346 --> 51:16.068
countries in the region on the

51:16.068 --> 51:17.735
implications of this on these

51:17.735 --> 51:19.957
developments . Um As you all know , the

51:19.957 --> 51:22.012
secretary of course is on his way to

51:22.012 --> 51:24.179
Europe for engagements at NATO and the

51:24.179 --> 51:26.235
European Union where I have no doubt

51:26.235 --> 51:27.957
this topic will come up and be

51:27.957 --> 51:29.846
discussed and we will continue to

51:29.846 --> 51:31.568
consult appropriately in close

51:31.568 --> 51:33.846
coordinations with allies and partners .

51:33.846 --> 51:36.179
And at the direction of President Biden ,

51:36.179 --> 51:38.401
we are continuing to surge the security

51:38.401 --> 51:38.275
assistance that we are providing to .

51:38.285 --> 51:41.966
Ukraine said that 10,000 troops .

51:41.976 --> 51:44.845
But this weekend , the President

51:45.156 --> 51:47.285
Zalinsky said that they were fighting

51:47.364 --> 51:51.003
50,000 Russian troops including those

51:51.124 --> 51:54.523
Kan troops . Can you come from me ? So

51:54.533 --> 51:56.964
I will let our Ukrainian partners speak

51:56.974 --> 51:59.384
to their own assessments that they are

51:59.394 --> 52:01.684
offering . But from our end , we can

52:01.694 --> 52:04.823
confirm that there are over 10,000 D pr

52:04.833 --> 52:06.722
K soldiers that have been sent to

52:06.722 --> 52:10.343
Eastern Russia lastly , 40

52:10.354 --> 52:13.543
minutes . L said that the

52:13.763 --> 52:16.714
concept of North Korea , the nuclear

52:17.602 --> 52:21.582
is only a clause to issue . How will

52:21.592 --> 52:23.681
the United States achieve

52:23.731 --> 52:27.122
denuclearization on those that

52:27.132 --> 52:29.402
continues to be a uh at the , at the

52:29.412 --> 52:32.562
cornerstone of our approach to the D pr

52:32.572 --> 52:34.350
K , we want to see the complete

52:34.350 --> 52:36.461
denuclearization of the Korean

52:36.471 --> 52:38.471
Peninsula and we'll continue to get

52:38.471 --> 52:40.527
engage trilateral on this as well in

52:40.527 --> 52:42.582
close coordinations with the Rok and

52:42.582 --> 52:44.582
Japan as well as other Indo Pacific

52:44.582 --> 52:48.169
partners on this . Yeah , this Thursday ,

52:48.179 --> 52:51.020
Peru's massive new Chinese funded

52:51.159 --> 52:53.330
Chiang Kai Port will be inaugurated .

52:53.540 --> 52:56.010
What security and political concerns

52:56.020 --> 52:58.399
will the US have about this port ? So

52:58.810 --> 53:01.169
look , I will let our uh Peruvian

53:01.179 --> 53:04.209
partners speak to um any infrastructure

53:04.219 --> 53:07.560
projects that uh they uh they have uh

53:07.570 --> 53:11.229
again , our uh long standing belief has

53:11.239 --> 53:13.389
been that it is ultimately for

53:13.399 --> 53:15.343
countries to choose and to dictate

53:15.343 --> 53:17.600
their own foreign policy . What we are

53:17.610 --> 53:19.989
focused on uh in our bilateral

53:20.000 --> 53:22.222
relationships with countries around the

53:22.222 --> 53:24.444
world , whether it be Peru , whether it

53:24.444 --> 53:26.667
be someone else um is the , is what the

53:26.667 --> 53:28.722
United States and what a partnership

53:28.722 --> 53:30.778
with the United States can bring for

53:30.778 --> 53:32.667
not just the people of the United

53:32.667 --> 53:35.040
States but also the people of Peru . Uh

53:35.290 --> 53:37.234
The president , the secretary look

53:37.234 --> 53:39.346
forward to heading to Peru later this

53:39.346 --> 53:41.512
week for the A P A meetings . It'll be

53:41.512 --> 53:43.850
an important fora to discuss and engage

53:43.860 --> 53:45.804
on some really important issues uh

53:45.804 --> 53:48.350
especially around trade and economic

53:48.360 --> 53:50.582
and energy issues . And we'll let those

53:50.582 --> 53:53.919
conversations play out , go ahead about

53:53.929 --> 53:56.409
Bangladesh . How does the US view the

53:56.419 --> 53:59.129
recent action preventing our mili

53:59.139 --> 54:02.290
activists from organizing a political

54:02.300 --> 54:05.270
rally in Dhaka on November 10th . What

54:05.280 --> 54:07.250
message does the US have for the

54:07.260 --> 54:10.709
interim government led by Dr Yunus and

54:10.719 --> 54:13.100
his supporters have previously

54:13.110 --> 54:15.929
advocated for freedom of speech and

54:15.939 --> 54:18.161
assembly . So we support the freedom of

54:18.161 --> 54:20.290
expression , peaceful and association

54:20.300 --> 54:22.244
for all , including dissenting and

54:22.244 --> 54:24.356
opposition voices . These freedoms in

54:24.356 --> 54:26.133
our point of view are essential

54:26.133 --> 54:27.856
elements of any democracy . We

54:27.856 --> 54:29.967
routinely communicate that support to

54:29.967 --> 54:32.133
all our partners including the interim

54:32.133 --> 54:34.300
government of Bangladesh and upholding

54:34.300 --> 54:36.411
and protecting these freedoms for all

54:36.411 --> 54:38.522
Bangladeshis is necessary to ensure a

54:38.522 --> 54:40.800
true democratic future for the country .

54:40.800 --> 54:42.911
Thank you so much . The recent report

54:42.911 --> 54:45.939
says that they have removed

54:46.989 --> 54:50.790
uh press credential for 184 journalists

54:50.800 --> 54:53.020
in Bangladesh including the bureau

54:53.030 --> 54:56.600
chief of Associate Press . What

54:56.610 --> 54:59.969
is the U considering to address this

54:59.979 --> 55:02.959
restriction on press freedom to support

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the rights of safety of journalists in

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Bangladesh under these circumstances ?

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Just to give you one information that

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recently the committee to protect

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journalists already sent a letter to Dr

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I've not seen that reporting . Of

55:20.919 --> 55:23.647
course , if it true uh uh would be uh

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unfortunate . It is our uh strong point

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of view that an engaged uh free press

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is vital to um covering any situation

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including of course the situation in

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Bangladesh . Um uh press freedom and

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media freedom is important to the , to

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the president , important to the

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secretary . And we would encourage and

55:44.897 --> 55:46.841
want to ensure that the rights and

55:46.841 --> 55:48.953
freedoms of all journalists are being

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appropriately respected . Shannon go

55:51.008 --> 55:52.897
ahead on Haiti . The FAA has just

55:52.897 --> 55:54.897
issued a flight ban for the next 30

55:54.897 --> 55:56.786
days . Do you have concerns about

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American citizens who might be in the

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country being able to travel out at

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this point ? So Shannon the best thing

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that any American citizen who continues

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to be in Haiti can do is to enroll in

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our smart traveler program and to stay

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in touch with the State Department

56:11.406 --> 56:14.114
about updates as it relates to how

56:14.124 --> 56:16.303
those travel restrictions may or may

56:16.313 --> 56:18.257
not change , receive updates about

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safety and security updates and make it

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easier for the US embassy to contact

56:22.904 --> 56:25.533
them in emergency . I also would be

56:25.543 --> 56:27.154
remiss if I did not use this

56:27.154 --> 56:29.376
opportunity to remind that uh for quite

56:29.376 --> 56:32.843
some time . Uh Even before uh the Biden

56:32.854 --> 56:35.354
administration , uh Haiti has been at a

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level four . A do not travel country .

56:37.531 --> 56:39.882
We have advised us citizens not travel

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there . Since March 5th of 2020 .

56:43.832 --> 56:45.999
The state department still support the

56:45.999 --> 56:47.999
work of the transitional council in

56:47.999 --> 56:50.054
Haiti that we do . So as many of you

56:50.054 --> 56:52.110
guys saw , we put out a statement on

56:52.110 --> 56:54.221
this earlier today . We welcome the T

56:54.221 --> 56:56.443
PC and the new Prime Minister and their

56:56.443 --> 56:58.499
commitment to release a joint action

56:58.499 --> 57:00.665
plan outlining their vision to improve

57:00.665 --> 57:02.832
the security and governance in Haiti .

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Um We look forward to working with the

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newly appointed Prime Minister and the

57:07.610 --> 57:09.832
acute needs of the Haitian people . And

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our point of view requires the

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transitional government to prioritize

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governance over personal and political

57:15.832 --> 57:18.000
interests and we'll continue to be

57:18.010 --> 57:20.010
deeply engaged on this . Julia , go

57:20.010 --> 57:22.679
ahead , go ahead , you know , beyond

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just the , the travel advisory to Haiti

57:25.340 --> 57:27.840
that you just iterated . Um What was

57:27.850 --> 57:30.360
the us response to the fact that two

57:30.389 --> 57:32.538
commercial planes jetblue spirit were

57:32.548 --> 57:35.667
struck by gunfire . And what does that

57:35.677 --> 57:37.788
speak to the conditions on the ground

57:37.788 --> 57:39.955
in Haiti and around the airport if you

57:39.955 --> 57:41.788
have any update in the security

57:42.018 --> 57:45.347
situation overall ? So first Julia

57:45.357 --> 57:48.617
certainly can confirm that operations

57:48.627 --> 57:50.697
at Toussaint Laventure Airport are

57:50.708 --> 57:52.978
temporarily paused and I will let

57:52.988 --> 57:56.597
specific airlines speak to

57:57.250 --> 58:00.629
their cadence of flights um up until

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this restriction goes into place and to

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what extent they're available for

58:06.040 --> 58:08.800
anyone wishing to uh uh to depart . I

58:08.810 --> 58:12.139
think broadly though um we

58:12.149 --> 58:15.399
are squarely focused on continuing to

58:15.409 --> 58:17.689
do everything we can to support and

58:17.699 --> 58:20.893
address uh the security crisis in Haiti .

58:20.943 --> 58:23.653
Uh The MS S mission continues to make

58:23.663 --> 58:25.772
headway in refining mission uh uh

58:25.782 --> 58:28.732
strategy focusing on interoperability

58:28.742 --> 58:31.252
with the Haitian National Police . Um

58:31.262 --> 58:34.572
We intend to provide nearly

58:34.583 --> 58:37.343
628 million in financial and in kind

58:37.353 --> 58:39.552
support to the MS S mission . This

58:39.562 --> 58:41.895
would include armored vehicles , radios ,

58:41.895 --> 58:43.951
night vision goggles and drones . We

58:43.951 --> 58:46.118
are also uh pursuing the government of

58:46.118 --> 58:48.716
Haiti's request to transition the MS S

58:48.726 --> 58:51.555
into a un peacekeeping effort . Uh So

58:51.565 --> 58:54.236
the support of the MS S mission is uh

58:54.246 --> 58:56.468
can ultimately be sustained over a long

58:56.468 --> 58:58.468
term . And ultimately , our hope is

58:58.468 --> 59:00.357
that it paves the way to security

59:00.357 --> 59:02.524
conditions that result in holding free

59:02.524 --> 59:05.179
and fair elections . All right guys .

59:05.189 --> 59:07.080
Thank you . Thanks .