In a decisive move on Thursday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to help broker a Gaza ceasefire to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation facing Palestinian civilians. Harris’s remarks were notably more forceful than those of President Joe Biden.
“It is time for this war to end,” Kamala Harris declared in a televised statement following her in-person discussions with Netanyahu. She emphasized the urgent need to address the suffering in Gaza after nine months of conflict between Israel and Hamas militants. “We cannot allow ourselves to be numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent,” she asserted.
Harris, who is now the Democratic presidential nominee following Biden’s recent decision to withdraw from the election race, took a firm stance on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The conflict, which started on October 7 with an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel, has resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of over 250 hostages according to Israeli sources. Israel’s counterattack has led to more than 39,000 deaths in Gaza, widespread displacement, famine, and a severe shortage of emergency relief.
President Biden’s recent meeting with Netanyahu did not yield substantive comments, although aides mentioned he also pushed for a ceasefire during his first direct talks with the Israeli leader since his visit to Tel Aviv shortly after the conflict began.
Netanyahu is set to meet with Harris’s Republican rival, Donald Trump, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Friday.
The prospect of a ceasefire has been under negotiation for months, and U.S. officials now believe an agreement for a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages by Hamas is closer than ever. “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,” Kamala Harris said.
While Harris has largely echoed Biden in supporting Israel’s right to self-defense, her tone on Thursday signaled growing impatience with Israel’s military tactics. “Israel has a right to defend itself. And how it does so matters,” she emphasized.
In March, Harris had already criticized Israel’s actions during its ground offensive in Gaza, describing the situation as a “humanitarian catastrophe.” She did not rule out potential “consequences” if Israel initiated a full-scale invasion of Rafah, a heavily populated area in southern Gaza.
The ongoing conflict has deepened divisions within the Democratic Party, leading to protests at Biden events and potential declines in support among Arab Americans, which could impact key states in the upcoming election. Addressing these concerns, Harris urged Americans to appreciate the complexities and history of the region. “To everyone who has been calling for a ceasefire and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you and I hear you,” she stated. “Let’s get the deal done so we can get a ceasefire to end the war.”
In his Oval Office address on Wednesday, Biden cited the need for party unity in the effort to defeat Trump as a primary reason for his decision not to seek reelection, instead backing Harris for the 2024 race. Kamala Harris, who maintains closer ties with progressive Democrats, has echoed some calls to condition U.S. weapons shipments to Israel due to the high civilian casualties in Gaza. The U.S. remains a major arms supplier to Israel and has shielded it from critical United Nations votes.
During their meeting, Biden and Netanyahu also met with families of Americans held by Hamas, who expressed their hopes for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. “We came today with a sense of urgency,” said Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son is among the captives.