Kamala Harris, the Vice President of United States, on Sunday, called out for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. She said,
There must be an immediate cease-fire for at least the next six weeks”, which would “get the [Israeli] hostages out.”
Harris put pressure on Israel to increase the flow of aid to moderate “inhumane” and “humanitarian catastrophe” like conditions in Gaza among the people of Palestine. She said,
People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane, and our common humanity compels us to act.
The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses.”
She gave these remarks while speaking at the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. This sharp stand on the conflict comes one day before she is set to meet Benjamin Gantz, former Minister of Defense of Israel. Her comments are the sharpest as of now by any United States leader urging Israel to ease the conditions in Gaza. Harris’ remarks as a Vice President are more desperate than President Biden’s. In February 2024, Biden said that the response of Israel’s military to the Hamas conflict has been “over the top.”
President Joe Biden has been pushing for a deal between Israel and Hamas aiming at the release of hostages and an interim cease-fire between them during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month starting from March 10. In previous reports, US officials had also said that Israel has almost accepted the deal, while Hamas is still showing reluctance.
Moreover, Kamala Harris did not refrain from mentioning that Israel has the right to protect itself from the attacks by Hamas. She called Hamas a “brutal terrorist organization” which should be eliminated.
Biden’s administration’s firm support for Israel has made US citizens consider them unempathetic and has divided the Democratic Party.
