US Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday said it was necessary to accept a proposed six-week ceasefire agreement in the war between Israel and Hamas, criticising Israel for not delivering enough aid to Gaza.
Harris said during a speech in Selma, Alabama:
Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks, which is what is currently on the table.
The comments were the harshest criticism of Israel by a US administration official since the war began, at a time when President Joe Biden is under intense pressure over his support for Israel and civilian casualties in Gaza are rising.
A senior US official said Saturday that Israel had broadly accepted the deal, which calls for a six-week cessation of hostilities if Hamas agrees to release the most vulnerable hostages it is holding. The deal “will allow for the release of hostages and a significant amount of aid,” Harris said, urging Hamas to accept the agreement. She also added:
Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire. Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal.
Hamas attack in Israel on 7 October killed about 1,160 people and took about 250 hostages. The Israeli army says 130 hostages remain in Gaza.
According to the Hamas government’s health ministry, 30,410 people have died as a result of Israeli military action, most of them women and children. About 85 per cent of buildings in Gaza have been reduced to rubble due to constant shelling.
In unusually harsh terms, Harris called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to take action to increase aid to Gaza. She added that Israel “should open new border crossings” and “should not impose unnecessary restrictions on aid delivery.” “The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses,” Harris said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made similar remarks in a post on X’s website, saying:
It is imperative that we expand the flow of aid into Gaza to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation. People urgently need more food, water, and other assistance. That’s why the US is working to get more aid in through every available channel, including air drops.
Harris’ comments came as Biden faces mounting pressure from left-leaning voters over his support for Israel ahead of the November presidential election.
Democrats are increasingly concerned that Biden’s stance on the war could cost him votes, especially in Michigan, one of several states likely to decide the outcome of the election.
Last week during the Democratic primary in Michigan, more than 100,000 voters cast their ballots for “unaffiliated” in protest of the president’s stance on Gaza. In 2020, Biden won Michigan, which has one of the largest Muslim populations in the country, by only about 150,000 votes. Former President Donald Trump won Michigan by less than 11,000 votes in 2016, becoming the first Republican to win that Midwestern state since 1988.
