US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Thursday she would not “be silent” about the suffering in the Gaza Strip, while emphasising her good faith towards Israel in comments made shortly after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Her remarks sparked furious Israeli complaints that they could complicate efforts to reach an agreement with the Hamas terror group to release hostages and end the war in Gaza.
Speaking to reporters after a “frank and constructive” meeting with Netanyahu at the White House, Harris said it was time to end the “devastating” war sparked by the Hamas terror group’s brutal attack on Israel on October 7, in comments that some saw as a sign of a possible shift in Washington’s stance as the Democratic presidential candidate takes the stage. She told reporters:
What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. The images of dead children and desperate hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time. We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering and I will not be silent.
Netanyahu, who has been in Washington since Monday, met with US President Joe Biden and Harris at the White House on Thursday. He will also meet with US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday.
Speaking to the US Congress on Wednesday, the prime minister reiterated the need for a “complete victory” over Hamas. The prime minister’s speech disappointed hostage relatives who had hoped he would commit to a ceasefire agreement in exchange for hostages, negotiations on which are said to be in full swing. Some families of US-Israeli hostages who met with Biden and Netanyahu at the White House on Thursday expressed hope and optimism about a possible deal.
In her press conference after the Netanyahu meeting, Harris also said “Israel has a right to defend itself. And how it does so matters.”
Washington has sent Tel Aviv tens of thousands of missiles since October
Meanwhile, according to recently released reports, US arms shipments to Israel throughout the war included more than 20,000 unguided bombs, some 2,600 guided bombs and 3,000 surgical strike missiles.
Earlier this month, Israel’s military radio reported that the Israeli Air Force dropped eight US-made JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) bombs on the al-Mawasi refugee camp in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, killing and wounding a total of 390 Palestinians. So far, the war has killed more than 39,175 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded 90,257.
The Washington Post reported last month that the US has supplied Israel with more than $6.5 billion in military aid since the military offensive began.
That increase came at a time when Washington’s annual so-called military aid to Tel Aviv is about $3.3 billion. Washington has also repeatedly used its veto power to prevent the UN Security Council from passing a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the war.
