Matthew Miller is an American communications strategist who served as spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State from April 2023 to January 2025, under Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He earlier directed the Justice Department's Office of Public Affairs in the Obama administration and served as a special advisor at the National Security Council. He is a partner at the advisory firm Vianovo.
Case
Haaretz reported that Israel's military used the Hannibal procedure on October 7, 2023, and a UN inquiry said Israeli fire likely killed at least 14 civilians in two incidents. The IDF defends its Be'eri tank fire. Mehdi Hasan says Western media ignored the question.
Role at the time: U.S. State Department spokesperson
Statement summary
Asked at a State Department briefing whether the Haaretz report on the Hannibal Directive changed the department's view of October 7, and whether Israel may have killed a majority of those who died, spokesperson Matthew Miller said "it certainly does not" and that Hamas "is responsible for the overwhelming number of deaths on October 7th."
“Boy, it certainly does not, Said. I don't think there's any question ... I don't think there's any question that it was Hamas ... I don't think it's any question it's Hamas that is responsible for the overwhelming number of deaths on October 7th.”
The reference point is the Israeli military's use of fire on October 7, 2023, under or in the manner of the Hannibal Directive, that put Israeli captives at risk of being killed by Israeli forces. Miller rejects the suggestion that Israel killed most of those who died on October 7 and says Hamas was responsible for the overwhelming number of deaths. He does not address whether Israeli forces applied the directive or killed some Israelis. That disputes the scale implied by the question rather than defending the conduct. The closest competing label is Minimized, but he does not acknowledge Israeli-caused deaths and then play them down, so we used Challenged the characterization.
Statement dates: July 11, 2024
Statement dates: July 11, 2024
Statement dates: July 11, 2024
