Israel has 'without doubt' committed war crimes in Gaza, former US State Department spokesman says

Matthew Miller defends support for conflict while working in Joe Biden's government

Matthew Miller said individual Israeli soldiers – rather than the state – have committed war crimes in Gaza. AFP

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

A former US State Department official in Joe Biden's administration said Israel has “without a doubt” committed war crimes in Gaza.

Matthew Miller, a principal voice defending the former president's unwavering support for Israel’s war on the enclave, acknowledged that he could not have officially voiced such an opinion during his time in government.

"I don't think it's a genocide, but I think it is without a doubt true that Israel has committed war crimes,” he told Sky News in a podcast.

“When you're at the podium, you're not expressing your opinion, you're expressing the conclusions of the United States government and the United States government had not concluded they've committed war crimes,” he said in response to a question about why he did not express that view while in his post.

Mr Miller, who served as State Department spokesman from 2023 until President Donald Trump took office in January, said individual Israeli soldiers – rather than the state – have committed war crimes in Gaza.

“There have been individual incidents that have been war crimes, where Israeli soldiers, members of the Israeli military, have committed war crimes,” he said.

He added that, although Israel has opened investigations, it has not held soldiers accountable.

Mr Miller's briefings frequently featured heated exchanges with journalists. He now works as a partner in the Vianova communications consultancy group.

Israel's military operation in Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, have drawn global condemnation, along with accusations of wars crimes, genocide and ethnic cleansing. Israel has denied such accusations, but on occasion has found “failures” that caused civilians to be killed.

In December 2023, South Africa brought a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, alleging that the country has committed genocide against Palestinians.