'I'm not going to characterize the ambassador's remarks,' says spokeswoman Tammy Bruce
The US State Department declined to comment Tuesday on remarks by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee that the US is no longer pursuing the goal of an independent Palestinian state.
"I'm not going to characterize the ambassador's remarks. I'm not going to explain them or really comment on them at all. I think he certainly speaks for himself," spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters.
Asked whether Huckabee was speaking on his own or if his remarks represented a change in the Trump administration's policy, Bruce suggested that the reporter ask the White House.
"I'm not going to parse the ambassador's remarks...I'm also not going to speak about the nature of what people say that he was claiming or not claiming. I'm not going to have a speculative conversation about that right now," she said.
During an interview with Bloomberg News, Huckabee said “I don't think so" when asked if a Palestinian state remains a goal of US policy.
"Unless there are some significant things that happen that change the culture, there's no room for it," he was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.
Turning to a question about the five countries that sanctioned Israeli Cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich – Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and the UK, Bruce said the US finds it "extremely unhelpful."
"It will do nothing to get us closer to a ceasefire in Gaza," she said, adding these countries should focus on the "real culprit" – the Palestinian group Hamas.
"We remain concerned about any step that would further isolate Israel from the international community. If our allies want to help, they should focus on supporting Special Envoy (Steve) Witkoff's negotiations and backing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation when it comes to food and aid," she added.
Israel, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a genocidal offensive in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, killing nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million inhabitants.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.
