“Israel has the right to defend itself … and how it defends itself matters,” Vice President Kamala Harris said. Harris made the comments after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Thursday.
“It is time for this war to end, and to end it with Israel safe, all hostages freed, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ending, and the Palestinian people able to exercise their freedom, dignity and right to self-determination,” he said.
Since Harris launched her campaign on Sunday, the de facto Democratic presidential nominee has been under pressure to further clarify her stance on political issues. The war between Israel and Hamas in Gazait is now the tenth month.
Harris said her conversations with Netanyahu were “candid” and she urged him to continue making progress on a multi-phase plan to reduce the scale of the war in the densely populated Gaza Strip and free hostages. and allow Palestinians in Gaza to resume their daily lives.
“The negotiations and actions to reach an agreement are very promising,” she said. “As I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, now is the time to get this deal done.”
“So, to all those who call for a ceasefire. To all those who long for peace. I see you, I hear you… Let us bring the hostages home. Let us provide much-needed relief to the Palestinian people.”
The meeting comes amid a polarizing visit to Washington by Netanyahu and an Israeli delegation.
As Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the U.S. Capitol to protest his visit and U.S. support for Israel. Protesters vandalized statues and burned American flags, replacing them with Palestinian flags.
“I condemn any individual who associates with Hamas, the brutal terrorist organization that has vowed to destroy the state of Israel and kill the Jewish people,” Harris said in a statement about the protests earlier Thursday. “Support Hamas. Mas’s graffiti and comments are abhorrent and we will never tolerate this behavior in our country.”
“Let us all condemn terrorism and violence,” Harris said after meeting Netanyahu on Thursday. “Let us all do what we can to prevent innocent civilians from suffering. Let us condemn anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and hatred of any kind.”
Biden and Netanyahu held a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office earlier that day, and then the two heads of state met with the families of the American hostages.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son Sagui is currently being held hostage in Gaza, said: “We feel probably more optimistic than we have since the first round of releases in late November, early December, when there were over 100 Israeli hostages released.
“We have an absolute commitment from the Biden administration and Prime Minister Netanyahu who understand the urgency now and waste no time in getting this deal done as it stands.”
According to the health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, Number of Palestinians reportedly killed Since October 7, Hamas has attacked more than 39,000 people in Israel. In addition to the reported death toll, some 90,000 Palestinians were reportedly injured.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal raid on Israel, killing approximately 1,800 people and triggering an Israeli military invasion.
“What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months has been devastating,” Harris said. “We cannot turn a blind eye in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. I will not remain silent.”
This is a developing story, please check back for updates
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