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Top US State Department official for Israel-Palestine affairs resigns amid Gaza war

Saturday, 22 June 2024 10:21 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 22 June 2024 10:21 AM ]

The US Department of State building is seen in Washington, DC, the United States. (File photo by Anadolu news agency)

A senior US Department of State official and expert on Israeli-Palestinian affairs has resigned amid the Israeli regime’s war on the Gaza Strip, which has claimed more than 37,400 Palestinian lives over the past eight months.

Andrew Miller, the deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, cited personal reasons for his decision to leave his job, The Washington Post newspaper reported.

The State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed the departure in a statement to the Washington Post, saying, “Andrew brought deep experience and sharp perspective to the table every day.”

Miller is described by people who know him as a stalwart supporter of Palestinian rights and statehood.

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One US official said Miller pushed for the US to use its leverage over Israel, including the substantial military, economic, political and diplomatic support it provides to the Tel Aviv regime.

“He’s certainly on the more progressive side of administration officials when it comes to the region, including on Israel-Palestine, but he has also never been a ‘burn it all down and forgo pragmatism’ type,” the official said.

Miller played a leading role in the executive order issued in February that resulted in sanctions imposed against several extremist Israeli settlers for attacking Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank, CNN television news network reported.

His resignation comes on the heels of at least eight other departures from the Biden administration over its support for the Israeli war in Gaza.

Miller’s resignation is notable as it marks the departure of the most senior official with a role in Israeli-Palestinian policy-making.

Israel has been waging an atrocious onslaught against the Gaza Strip, targeting hospitals, residences, and houses of worship after Palestinian resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, on October 7.

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