• Matthew Miller now admits Israel committed war crimes in Gaza, marking a notable shift from his previous defense of U.S. policy.
• His statements reveal internal disagreements within the Biden administration regarding its response to the Gaza conflict.
• Hamas seized on Miller's comments, calling them an acknowledgment of U.S. complicity in Israel's actions.

Matthew Miller, who served as the U.S. State Department spokesman, recently declared that Israel has "without a doubt" committed war crimes in Gaza, representing a significant shift from his previously supportive stance during his tenure. Speaking on the Sky News podcast, Miller stated that while he now holds a personal belief in Israel's culpability, he was constrained to express only the administration's official position while in office, explaining, "You’re a spokesperson for the president, the administration — and you espouse the positions of the administration," according to TRT Global and HuffPost.

During the interview, Miller also acknowledged tensions within the Biden administration regarding its policy towards Israel, hinting at disagreements between Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on handling the situation in Gaza. Miller reflected on the need for more decisive U.S. action to pressure Israel to halt military operations, suggesting that the administration could have done more to save civilian lives, an assertion supported by Al Jazeera and HuffPost.

Miller's admissions have been met with varied reactions, including from Hamas, which described his comments as a significant acknowledgment that condemns U.S. support for Israel’s military actions. Hamas asserted that such statements highlight the U.S. administration's attempts to "conceal the reality of this brutal war against innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip," reflecting a narrative the group aims to expand on during ongoing hostilities, according to Newsweek.

While Miller cleared that he did not believe there was genocide occurring, he reinforced the notion of war crimes being committed by Israel, a position that diverges sharply from the narrative pushed during his tenure. This change has drawn criticism from various sectors, including human rights advocates who argue that U.S. policies have facilitated such violations, as noted by HuffPost and Al Jazeera.

The rhetoric surrounding Miller's comments indicates a broader political shift within the U.S. as public opinion increasingly turns against strong support for Israel in light of its military actions in Gaza. Observers note that individuals like Miller, who once echoed pro-Israel sentiment, are now being more vocal about their criticisms as the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate, as reflected in responses from various commentators and news reports cited in HuffPost and Al Jazeera.