Stephanie Hallett, the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Israel, described Israel’s response to the killing of two U.S. citizens in the West Bank as “unsatisfactory,” during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) pressed Hallett, during the hearing, about the recent shootings of two 17-year-old American citizens in the West Bank, Mohammad Khdour and Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, 

allegedly by Israeli fire. Van Hollen said that he believes the State Department is not “actively pursuing” the cases and “has not taken sufficient action to hold individuals accountable for the killings of American citizens.”

“It’s my understanding from the Israeli government that those investigations are ongoing,” Hallett said. “I know that’s unsatisfactory, it is to us in the embassy as well, and I assure you that we will continue to ask and demand accountability and a full investigation.” She was appearing before the committee for a confirmation hearing for her nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to Bahrain.

Hallett added that she agreed with recent comments by Secretary of State Tony Blinken, following the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist in the West Bank, that Israeli security forces have used excessive force in the West Bank and turned a blind eye to settler attacks.

Hallett said that Israel’s rules of engagement in the West Bank “warrants further attention and discussion from us at the embassy and from the administration.”

Also during the hearing, Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the top Republican on the panel, accused the State Department of stonewalling requests from both Republicans and Democrats for information about long-suspended Iran envoy Rob Malley, who is under federal investigation.

Risch said Republicans are blocking votes on State Department nominees in response to the State Department’s failure to provide the requested information about Malley and other inquiries. Risch has also previously linked a blockade of committee business to Senate Democrats’ refusal to call a vote on International Criminal Court sanctions legislation. 

“This committee should not and cannot rubber stamp nominees while State continues to be unresponsive to oversight requests,” Risch said. “This is unconscionable … We are entitled to this information.”

He said that the lack of information about Malley is part of a broader pattern of obstructionism from State and other agencies, and that blocking nominees is Republicans’ “only recourse.”

Risch said that Cardin has been attempting to aid his efforts, but the State Department has been similarly unresponsive. Cardin said he agrees that lawmakers should be able to access the requested information. But he also argued that career officials need to be confirmed to their posts to allow U.S. diplomacy to function and that the case is now the purview of the Department of Justice, not the State Department.

Speaking about her potential future posting, Hallett addressed Bahrain’s moves to re-establish diplomatic relations with Iran, brokered by Russia, and Manama’s relationships with other U.S. adversaries. 

She said that she would prioritize efforts to ensure that Bahrain’s relationships with those nations don’t harm U.S. interests or security, adding that Bahrain has been upfront about its decision making and the U.S. remains Bahrain’s key ally.

“Bahrain is clear-eyed about its diplomatic engagement with Iran, and we will continue working together to defend against Iran’s aggression and plotting,” Hallett said. “My job and that of the mission … would be to continue to deepen our partnership … so that we can anchor Bahrain and our other partners in the [Gulf Cooperation Council] with Israel, with us, to be able to isolate Iran.”

Julie Smith, currently the U.S. permanent representative to NATO who has been nominated to be under secretary of state for political affairs, a top job in Foggy Bottom, was pressed on efforts to counter Iran, especially in light of its provision of ballistic missiles to Russia.

She said that the U.S. needs to work with partners to impose further pressure on Iran, attack the revenue streams financing Iran’s malign activities and ensure Israel’s security. She said she’s been working to bring along European allies on the issue.

“This will be one of the key features of my mission, without a doubt,” Smith said. “I will spend an extraordinary amount of time on Iran.”

Asked about whether she would call on European allies to initiate snapback provision in the Iran nuclear deal, reimposing international sanctions — something they have refused thus far to do — Smith said she had “worked hand in glove with our European allies to push them as much as possible on this particular challenge, and I will continue to do so.”