2:07 p.m. EDT<\/p>\n
MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Hello, everybody. All right. To begin, a few comments at the top, and then I\u2019ll be happy to take some questions.<\/p>\n So first, a statement from Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Quote: \u201cWe have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza. It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n This week, the United States is advancing a bold and proactive foreign policy that reflects our enduring commitment to peace and security and prosperity for the American people. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas is traveling to Seoul and Manila to strengthen the department\u2019s operational posture and deepen our partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, a region central to America\u2019s strategic and economic interests. His visit builds on the administration\u2019s vision of a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n As the White House announced earlier this week, the United States is making significant progress on three major trade initiatives in the Indo-Pacific, reflecting our deep commitment to advancing economic prosperity and long-term security across the region. President Trump announced a landmark economic agreement with Japan, one of our closest allies and most important trading \u2013 and one of our most trading partners. This historic deal underscores the enduring strength of the U.S.-Japan relationship and advances the mutual interests of both nations.<\/p>\n The United States and Indonesia also reached a framework for negotiating an agreement on reciprocal trade. This framework is an important step toward expanding bilateral economic ties and will help unlock new opportunities for exporters in both countries.<\/p>\n And on Tuesday, President Trump welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., of the Philippines to Washington. During the visit, the United States and the Philippines concluded a trade agreement that will reduce tariffs and expand market access, further deepening our economic partnerships with a key ally. Together, these agreements highlight the United States\u2019s sustained leadership in the region and our strong partnership with Indo-Pacific allies and partners.<\/p>\n We are also gravely concerned by the escalating violence along the Thailand-Cambodia border, and deeply saddened by reports of harm to civilians. The United States urges an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.<\/p>\n And with that, I\u2019ll take some questions. Yes.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Thanks, Tommy. The special envoy\u2019s statement, does that suggest that the U.S. is pulling out of any sort of negotiating role in the Gaza ceasefire talks? What are these alternatives?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, look, ultimately the statement speaks for itself. But the question has never been our commitment to a ceasefire. The question has been Hamas\u2019s commitment to a ceasefire, and that has been made clear by the special envoy\u2019s statement, the fact that we have entered in good faith in trying to reach an end to this conflict. And as the special envoy said, we remain dedicated to trying to see an end to this conflict.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> But will you work within the parties \u2013 Qatar, Egypt, for example \u2013 in the Doha format? Will you return to that? Are you pulling out entirely from this format?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, look, again, I refer you back to the statement. This is a very dynamic situation, and ultimately, again, to reinforce, the question here has never been our commitment to try to get a ceasefire. We\u2019ve seen that engagement. The question here has always been Hamas\u2019s commitment to a ceasefire or willingness to get there.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> And can you give us any examples of the alternative options that Witkoff references in his statement?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> At this point, I have nothing to preview.<\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Just following up on that, what about the response from Hamas specifically made the administration feel that they are not acting in good faith?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, look, these are sensitive diplomatic conversations. We\u2019ll see in the days ahead as we proceed here. Ultimately, the special envoy\u2019s statement speaks for itself, but I think the broader context here is also important, the fact that we have seen Hamas first break that ceasefire that existed on October 7th, then break another ceasefire, and then here, as the special envoy makes clear, not acting in a way in order to achieve a ceasefire again. So to reiterate, the question has never been our commitment to a ceasefire. It has been Hamas\u2019s. They have shown that again and again and again, and have just shown it once again.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> And this decision comes as dozens of people have starved to death in Gaza in the last few weeks as a wave of hunger is hitting the enclave. The WHO said yesterday that 21 children under the age of five were among those who died of malnutrition so far this year, and more than a hundred organizations have called for the lifting of all restrictions on the flow of aid and all land crossings to be opened and the restoration of the UN-led a humanitarian response. Given this decision today, is the U.S. considering any other steps to increase the flow of aid to Gaza? Are you talking with Israel about them taking any other steps? How do you move forward on the aid?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, look, ultimately what we have seen us do is the delivery of close to 90 million meals into Gaza during a war zone, the ability to deliver that aid in a way where it is not being looted by Hamas. That is what we have seen. We are of course aware \u2013 of course we want to see end the devastation that has taken place in Gaza. That\u2019s why we have seen this commitment to get aid to the people who need it in a way where it is not weaponized by Hamas.<\/p>\n That commitment remains. It is a commitment from President Trump and Secretary Rubio. That is why we have supported the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. That is why we continue supporting the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. That is why we\u2019ve seen those 90 million meals being distributed and that commitment again to making sure that aid is reaching the people of Gaza that need it, and the first victims of Hamas being the people of Gaza, as is demonstrated once again here.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation a sufficient mechanism for delivering aid to Gaza? People are still starving to death. Is that enough, in the U.S. opinion?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, as Spokesperson Tammy Bruce has said from this podium before, it is never enough in a war zone. It is never enough. That is why we\u2019re committed to trying to get as much aid in as possible. That is why we worked for that ceasefire, because of what we are seeing. But aid needs to be delivered in a way where it is not being looted by Hamas. So of course enough \u2013 it is never enough in a war zone. But we\u2019re dedicated to getting as much aid into Gaza in a way where it reaches the people that need it as possible, and that\u2019s why we were working so hard for a ceasefire.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Okay. And, sorry, I just have one question on the U.S. citizen that died in Syria, Hosam Saraya. Has the U.S. been able to ascertain any further details around the circumstances of his death?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> So what I can say on this is first, in terms of the circumstances around his death, I have nothing to confirm on this front. What I can say is we have had direct discussions with the Syrian Government on this issue and have called for an immediate investigation into the matter. Hosam and his family deserve justice, and those responsible for this atrocity must be held accountable.<\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Hi, Tommy. Wanted a quick follow-up on that, and then I have a different subject I want to quickly ask you about, which is very relevant. Doctors Without Borders, internationally known and working with the U.S. for decades, is urgently calling for help beyond the foundation because one in four young children and pregnant women, they say, are malnourished and that it is a policy of starvation. Now, acknowledging 90 million meals and the \u201cprogress,\u201d quote-unquote, but there is a whole area of Gaza that is not being served by that. People can\u2019t get to it. It\u2019s only in one region, in the south, and internationally 28 countries, hundreds of aid organizations, are calling for something more than that. There\u2019s been some acknowledgment from U.S. officials as well that there\u2019s real starvation, so is there any \u2013 now that the talks have collapsed and so that there\u2019s no immediate ceasefire that might relieve the pressure, is there any alternative that the State Department would begin looking at?<\/p>\n And then I have just one quick other follow-up.<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, a couple points. First, it is progress to see 90 million meals.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> I\u2019m \u2014<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> That is \u2013 yes, and that is progress, and I think it is \u2013 it\u2019s worth applauding, especially given the circumstances under which those meals were able to be delivered. I think another important context of this is that the first victims of Hamas are the people of Gaza. Of course, they are not the only victims; we saw the \u2014<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> But that\u2019s what we\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Yes, on October 7th, the atrocities that we saw there, many victims of Hamas. We remain dedicated to getting aid into Gaza to the people that actually need it, and we\u2019ve called from this podium other entities to step up and working through this mechanism in order to deliver aid to the people of Gaza without it being subject to looting by Hamas.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Well, they\u2019re volunteering, but they can\u2019t get past the border. That\u2019s the problem.<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> We\u2019re calling for conversations with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, with (inaudible) entities. Through this mechanism, we\u2019ve seen the food being delivered.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> It\u2019s also fuel for the hospitals, where the incubators are now taking multiple children.<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> We are incredibly aware of the humanitarian catastrophe that is happening there. That is the dedication you have seen from the President, the dedication you\u2019ve seen from Secretary Rubio. Every single day, we have conversations here at the State Department; every single briefing, we have conversations here about getting aid into Gaza. It is the dedication of this administration. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve seen the 90 million meals \u2013 the support of that effort from this administration. So, of course we want to see as much aid getting into Gaza as possible in a way that is not being looted by Hamas, and this mechanism, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has been a way to do that. So we\u2019re calling for additional support of that foundation to deliver that aid.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Follow-up \u2014<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Okay. Let me ask you this other question, though, because there is a lot of reporting, New York Times and elsewhere, about planned cuts in PEPFAR going forward. Now, just last week, Republicans led the way on the Hill in carving out the clawback that was proposed in PEPFAR and in continuing the program and expanding it beyond some of the contracts that were frozen under DOGE. Can you give us an update, a status update, on where your \u2013 the State Department\u2019s thinking is on PEPFAR going forward?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, Secretary Rubio has stated that PEPFAR is an important and lifesaving program that will continue. That dedication continues. That has been clear from the Secretary; the Secretary has made that clear.<\/p>\n I will take a step back when we\u2019re talking about aid programs in general. Part of the new vision of this administration when it comes to aid is looking at recipients of aid, or at least the communities, as allies and partners, not those that are dependent on this aid, and in the long term working towards a scenario where we have the same needs being provided by local partners or other entities as part of that long-term effort when we\u2019re talking about aid in general. So PEPFAR, though, now is an important and lifesaving program that will continue. Secretary Rubio has made that clear.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> And just to quickly follow up, some countries have moved towards taking ownership \u2013 South Africa, for instance, countries that are capable \u2013 but in conflict zones like Haiti, like Sudan, like southern Sudan, like Somalia, and several other countries involved is there a plan to continue it until countries can stand on their own two feet?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, look, what I can say now is that PEPFAR \u2013 as I just said, that important and lifesaving program that will continue. That\u2019s what our policy currently is here. Again, talking about that longer term, when we\u2019re talking about aid in general, is when we\u2019re talking about those local institutions being able to fulfill a lot of those needs, looking at people as trade and allies, not as those that are dependent on aid. That\u2019s a broader aid vision that is from this administration. But when it comes to PEPFAR, as I said, that it will continue.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Syria?<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Can I follow up on Gaza?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Yes.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Thanks, Tommy. At the United Nations Security Council yesterday, the U.S. was isolated in its position when it comes to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, support for the GHF. We\u2019ve had the UK prime minister in the last hour saying the situation in Gaza is unspeakable, indefensible. You have more than a hundred humanitarian aid agencies saying that this system is creating the conditions of starvation. You have desperate Israeli hostage families, who have been for weeks pleading with the prime minister of their country to do this deal.<\/p>\n The U.S. is the only power that has the leverage and the pressure to try and make that happen from the Israeli side. There is clearly a gap between Israel and Hamas; it\u2019s been there for a long time. And there are Israeli families who will say that this is quibbling over a few meters of territory in Gaza; this is quibbling over the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, and the U.S. could put the pressure on to move these two sides closer together. And I just \u2013 can you help us understand why this moment, when you see the conditions on the ground in Gaza \u2013 the now mass starvation \u2013 the U.S. is deciding this is the moment to walk away from these talks?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> This is not a question of what the United States is doing; it\u2019s a question of what Hamas has done. This is a response to what Hamas has done continually \u2013<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> But that\u2019s not actually the position of many of the Israeli hostage families, of \u2013<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, and \u2013 well, and Israel has long accepted the deal on the table, and Hamas has long rejected it. I mean, this is about \u2013 it\u2019s never about \u2013 been our commitment to a ceasefire. That\u2019s never been the question here. We have engaged in good faith to try to achieve a ceasefire. The question has always been with Hamas. That is where the question has been. That is where it remains. And the response we just saw from Special Envoy Witkoff is reflective of that. The question is with Hamas, not with the United States.<\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> And sorry \u2013<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> It\u2019s alright.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Just in terms \u2013 the statement says you\u2019ll now consider alternative options. I mean \u2013 to bring the hostages home \u2013 what possible alternative options can there be? We \u2013 Israel has tried rescues. Gaza is reduced to rubble; the population is starving. So, I mean, that \u2013 if you could help us understand what that statement could possibly be referring to.<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> I\u2019m not going to speculate more on terms of what his statement \u2013 his statement stands for itself at this time. If we have more to announce, we will announce it.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> And just \u2013 sorry, just one \u2013 can I just \u2013 there\u2019s just one other thing I wanted to ask \u2013<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> All right. One more.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> \u2014 about the two-state solution conference next week. I know the U.S. had said previously when it was postponed that it opposed countries going to this conference in New York. Do you have a position on it this time?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Nothing further, beyond saying that we will not in attendance of that conference.<\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Thank you, Tommy. Just to clarify, now when the envoy says we will consider alternative options to free the hostages and so on, what is meant by that? Because we have seen that only through negotiations were the hostages released in the past. So what other alternatives the U.S. could be thinking about?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, I refer you to my previous response. I\u2019m not going to expand upon what the special envoy said.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Okay. All right. Okay. So one other thing. And you also say that Hamas has broken the ceasefire. It was, in fact, the Israeli prime minister who broke the ceasefire on the 18th of March, this past March, and so on. And I say \u2013 or at least from what we hear by the interlocutors and so on that Hamas has been more than willing. It\u2019s submitted many concessions and so on. So, what is required of Hamas so a ceasefire can take effect in \u2013 as far as the United States is concerned?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Well, look, there has been conversations on this. I will not go into details of what those private diplomatic conversations have been. But what I can say is it is clear now from our perspective that Hamas does not appear to be coordinated nor acting in good faith. We have approached these conversations with good faith, as has been evident by our comments from this podium and other places. And it is clear now that Hamas has not been acting that way.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> And lastly \u2014<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Yes.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> \u2014 just lastly, according to news reports and so on, the sticking point was actually the actual entry of aid to Gaza. They apparently did not agree on that. Is that really what broke finally, or what forced the United States team to pull out? Or is it because they want to maintain this GHF method of allowing aid into Gaza?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Look, what I can say is what Spokesperson Bruce spoke to just on Tuesday: that discussions of the humanitarian situation in Gaza were part of this, and our effort was to try to get those humanitarian corridors in there. That has been a clear effort by this administration, as Spokesperson Bruce described.<\/p>\n And again, to reiterate, we are seeing aid being delivered, despite the actions of Hamas here, and those 90 million meals are to be applauded in terms of that effort. Of course, it will never be enough until we see an end to this conflict. But the entity that is standing in the way of ending this conflict is Hamas. They can release the hostages, lay down their arms. As we have said repeatedly, it is Hamas that is preventing an end to this conflict.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Follow-up on \u2014<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> Yes.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Can I follow up on Gaza?<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Tommy, a few Middle East questions for you. Number one, with the Special Envoy Witkoff statement, he said there\u2019s a lack of coordination; Hamas is not coordinated. Can you expand on that? Is it trouble reaching the appropriate leaders? Is it an unclear chain of command? I mean, where is the lack of coordination coming in?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> I\u2019m not going to expand on his statement at this time.<\/p>\n So, yes, sir, go ahead.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Second question. Can you give us an update on Tom Barrack\u2019s dealings today, reportedly meeting with Syrian and Israeli officials? Any status update?<\/p>\n MR PIGOTT:<\/strong> I have nothing specific to preview for you. But what I can say is he\u2019s, of course, been in communication, as has the Secretary, with all sides for many days now, and those efforts continue.<\/p>\n QUESTION:<\/strong> Last question for you. Hopefully I\u2019ll drag an answer out of you on this one. I asked in Tuesday\u2019s briefing about why Secretary Rubio is not pushing harder for the extradition of Ahlam al-Tamimi from Jordan. I was given a written answer by the State Department on that yesterday, after you guys took it back. It basically said we continue to impress upon the Government of Jordan to bring her to justice.<\/p>\n President Trump said on day one \u2013 his executive order \u2013 American citizens come first in American foreign policy, America and American citizens. Secretary Rubio put out his three questions. Every dollar spent, every program has to answer in the affirmative one of three questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous? I\u2019m sure you have these memorized by heart. A billion and a half dollars of foreign aid to Jordan \u2013 how is it conceivable that Tamimi is still there and any of that falls under these dictates of what American foreign policy is supposed to be, with three dead Americans at Tamimi\u2019s hands?<\/p>\n