Kamala Harris says there is “no excuse” for Israel not to increase the flow of aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
US Vice President Kamala Harris has called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza while also issuing a rare rebuke to Israel.
“Given the immense magnitude of the suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks, which is what is currently on the table,” Harris said on Sunday. “This will get the hostages out and allow a significant amount of help in.”
In one of the strongest criticisms of Israel yet from US President Joe Biden's administration, Harris said Israel must do more to enable aid delivery, including opening new border crossings and lifting “restrictions.” unnecessary.”
“People in Gaza are starving. Conditions are inhumane and our common humanity compels us to act,” Harris said during a speech marking the violent crackdown on civil rights protesters by police in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965.
“The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. There are no excuses.”
What we see every day in Gaza is devastating and our common humanity compels us to act.
Given the immense magnitude of the suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks. pic.twitter.com/mst8N9HxKa
—Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) March 3, 2024
Harris also addressed Thursday's incident during which more than 100 Palestinians were killed while trying to access food aid in Gaza City, saying “too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”
“Our hearts are broken for the victims of that horrible tragedy,” he said.
Harris urged Hamas to accept the terms of a ceasefire agreement that U.S. officials said has been widely accepted by Israel.
“Hamas needs to accept that agreement,” he said. “Let's get a ceasefire. Let's reunite the hostages with their families. And let us provide immediate aid to the people of Gaza.”
Harris' comments come as Biden faces growing pressure from left-wing voters over his support for Israel ahead of November's presidential election.
Democrats are increasingly concerned that Biden's stance on the war could cost him votes, especially in Michigan, one of the few battleground states likely to decide the outcome of the election.
During the Democratic primary in Michigan last week, more than 100,000 voters voted “uncommitted” in a rebuke of the president's position on Gaza.
Biden won Michigan, which has one of the largest Muslim populations in the country, by only about 150,000 votes in 2020.
Former President Donald Trump won the state by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2016, becoming the first Republican to win the Midwestern state since 1988.
