Taking a more assertive stance than President Joe Biden, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to assist in achieving a ceasefire agreement in Gaza that would lessen the suffering of Palestinian citizens.
“It’s time for this war to end,” Harris declared on television following her in-person discussions with Netanyahu.
Following Biden’s withdrawal from the contest on Sunday, Harris—who is expected to be the Democratic nominee for president in the event that she wins—spoke bluntly about the humanitarian calamity that has befallen Gaza following nine months of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants.
“We cannot allow ourselves to be numb to the suffering and I will not be silent,” she declared.
With her pointed and somber tone, Harris posed the question of whether, should she win the presidency on November 5, she would deal with Netanyahu more forcefully. However, experts do not anticipate a significant change in US policy toward Israel, the country’s closest Middle East partner.
According to Israeli estimates, the fighting started on October 7 when Hamas terrorists launched an onslaught on southern Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 people and capturing over 250 others.
More than 39,000 people have died as a result of Israel’s retaliatory bombardment of Gaza, which has also resulted in a humanitarian crisis that includes starvation, a lack of emergency supplies, and the destruction of the majority of the coastal enclave.
A readout of the meeting from the White House stated that Biden informed Netanyahu at their earlier discussion that he needed to bridge differences in order to achieve a truce in Gaza and remove barriers to the delivery of aid.
On Friday, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Netanyahu will take on Donald Trump, the Republican opponent of Harris.
The talks about a ceasefire have lasted for months. According to U.S. sources, the sides are getting closer than ever to reaching a deal on a six-week ceasefire in exchange for Hamas releasing its hostages, who are women, children, the elderly, and injured.
“There has been hopeful movement in the talks to secure an agreement on this deal, and as I just told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done,” Harris stated.
While she has largely agreed with Biden as vice president to support Israel’s right to self-defense, she made it apparent on Thursday that she was growing impatient with Israel’s military strategy.
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