‘Immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza is demanded by US Vice President Kamala Harris
USA: On Sunday, US Vice President Kamala Harris criticized Israel for not delivering enough supplies into Gaza and urged acceptance of a proposed six-week truce agreement in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
During a speech in Selma, Alabama, Harris said, “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.”
As President Joe Biden under intense criticism for his backing of Israel as the number of civilian deaths in Gaza continues to rise, her remarks were the harshest spoken by a US government official on Israel since the conflict began.
A top US source said on Saturday that Israel has mostly agreed to the agreement, which calls for a six-week stop to hostilities in exchange for Hamas releasing its most vulnerable captives.
Harris urged Hamas to embrace the proposal, saying it “will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid in.”
“Hamas says it’s in favor of a truce. A deal is, in fact, on the table. Furthermore, Hamas must accept that agreement, as we have said.”
An AFP count based on official Israeli numbers puts the number of Israeli deaths from the Hamas onslaught on October 7 at around 1,160, the most of them civilians. It is estimated that over 250 people were held prisoner.
According to the Israeli army, there are still 130 captives in Gaza, 31 of whom are thought to be dead.
According to the Ministry of Health of the Hamas administration, 30,410 people have died as a result of Israel’s military action, the majority of them being women and children.
Harris demanded in unusually forceful terms that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration take action to provide supplies to Gaza.
“More has to be done by the Israeli government to dramatically boost humanitarian flow. Not one excuse,” Harris said.
She said that Israel “must open new border crossings” as well as “must not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of aid.”
Gantz in Washington
In a post on X, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “it is imperative that we expand the flow of aid into Gaza to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation.”
“People desperately need more food, water, and other assistance,” he continued. Because of this, the US is attempting to increase help via all avenues, including air drops.” These got underway on Saturday.
On Monday, Harris is scheduled to meet in Washington with Benny Gantz, a moderate member of Israel’s military cabinet.
“The vice president’s meeting is part of our continued efforts to engage with a wide range of Israeli officials on the war in Gaza and planning for the day after,” an official at the White House said on Sunday.
According to US authorities, the former Israeli military leader, who has been Netanyahu’s lifelong opponent, will also meet with Blinken and Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser for the White House.
Harris said, “Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed,” pointing to the fatalities that occurred on Thursday in the tumultuous areas around a convoy of relief vehicles.
Individuals “simply trying to secure food for their families after weeks of nearly no aid reaching northern Gaza… were met with gunfire and chaos,” stated Harris. He went on to say: “Our hearts break for the victims of that horrific tragedy.”
“The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel must be eliminated.”
Harris made her speech near the base of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where on March 7, 1965, police brutally put down a peaceful protest by hundreds of demonstrators.
The occasion, dubbed “Bloody Sunday,” increased the momentum for Black rights and, a few months later, contributed to the Voting Rights Act—a federal statute that forbade racial discrimination in voting—being passed.
