Hala Rharrit, the Arabic spokesperson for the US State Department, has resigned in protest against Washington’s policy towards the war in Gaza, marking at least the third resignation from the department over this issue.
According to the department’s website, Rharrit also served as the Deputy Director of the Regional Media Center in Dubai and had been with the State Department for about two decades, working as a political and human rights officer.
She announced her resignation on LinkedIn, stating that she resigned in April 2024 after 18 years of service in protest against US policy in Gaza.
When asked about the resignation at a press conference on Thursday, a State Department spokesperson stated that the department provides channels for its employees to exchange viewpoints when they disagree with government policies.
About a month ago, Anil Shilin from the State Department’s Office of Human Rights resigned, and Josh Paul resigned from the State Department in October of last year.
Tareq Habash, a senior official at the US Department of Education and an American of Palestinian descent, also resigned from his position in January of last year.
The United States has faced increasing international criticism and condemnation from human rights groups for its support of Israel in its ongoing Israeli attack on Gaza, which has claimed the lives of tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis.
Reports suggest signs of dissent within President Joe Biden’s administration as casualties from the war continue to mount, according to Reuters.
In November of last year, more than a thousand officials from the US Agency for International Development, a part of the State Department, signed an open letter calling for an immediate ceasefire. Telegrams criticizing the administration’s policy were also sent to the State Department’s internal “dissent channel.”
The war has also sparked heated rhetoric and anti-war protests across the United States, Israel’s most important ally.
The Palestinian movement Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 last year, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people according to Israeli statistics.
Israel killed over 34,000 people in the Gaza Strip according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Strip, leading to displacement, hunger, and accusations of genocide denied by Israel.
