Vice President and potential US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the war in Gaza by reaching a ceasefire deal with Hamas and return the hostages.
Politico, AP, ABC, BBC write about it.
Harris said she had a "frank and constructive" conversation with Netanyahu, in which she affirmed Israelʼs right to self-defense, but expressed concern about the high death toll in Gaza and the "horrendous" humanitarian situation there.
In general, Kamala Harris repeated the position of US President Joe Biden, but did it more decisively and directly. It came a day after Netanyahu gave a speech to Congress defending the war, vowing to achieve "total victory" over Hamas and making little mention of ceasefire talks. At the same time, Harris believes that there are "encouraging movements" in the negotiations.
The vice president said the two-state solution was a guarantee that there would be a secure Jewish democratic state and that the Palestinians would have the "freedom" they "deserve." And she emphasized that the war between Israel and Palestine is more complicated than simply supporting one side or the other.
For Kamala Harris, the meeting with the Israeli prime minister was an opportunity to demonstrate that she has a clear position and determination to achieve the end of the war in Gaza. She is now the focus of left-wing political forces who believe that Biden did not do enough to force Netanyahu to end the war. Meanwhile, Republicans are also keeping a close eye on Harris in an attempt to brand her as not supportive enough of Israel.
US President Joe Biden also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He called for an agreement with Hamas, the return of the hostages. Netanyahu said he would intensify negotiations with Hamas in order to return the hostages.
Biden has vowed to take a harder line with Netanyahu because he no longer has to worry about his political future. The US president, after leaving the presidential race, said that he would make the cease-fire agreement a key theme of his tenure.
Presidential elections in the USA
This yearʼs presidential election in the USA will be held on November 5, 2024. Donald Trump has already become the candidate of the Republicans and has chosen his vice president — Senator from the state of Ohio James David Vance, known for his criticism of aid to Ukraine.
The main candidate from the Democratic Party was 81-year-old Joe Biden, but after an unsuccessful debate with Trump, he was widely criticized and called to withdraw from the election. Biden officially announced his withdrawal from the race on July 21. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. However, her candidacy still needs to be approved at the August congress of the Democratic Party.
The war between Israel and Hamas
The war has been ongoing since October 7, 2023, when militants of the Islamist group launched a massive rocket attack on Israel, invaded the countryʼs territory, killed 1,195 civilians and took hostages. Israelʼs military goals are "the destruction of the military and management potential of Hamas and the return of the hostages home."
At the end of May 2024, the United States announced a ceasefire plan in the Gaza Strip, which was approved by the UN Security Council.