Kamala Harris said there is “no excuse” for Israel not to increase aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
US Vice President Kamala Harris, in a rare rebuke of Israel, called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip.
“Given the immensity of the suffering in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks is necessary, and that is currently on the table,” Harris said on Sunday.
“Now the hostages will be rescued and we will receive a large amount of aid.”
In the strongest criticism of Israel yet by US President Joe Biden's administration, Ms Harris said Israel would open new border crossings and pledge not to impose “unnecessary restrictions” on aid. He said further action was needed to enable delivery.
“The people of Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane, and our common humanity compels us to act,” Harris told police in Selma, Alabama, on March 7, 1965. He said this in a speech commemorating the violent repression of civil rights protesters.
“The Israeli government needs to do more to significantly increase aid flows. No excuses.”
What we are witnessing every day in Gaza is devastating, and our common humanity compels us to act.
Given the scale of suffering in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire is needed for at least the next six weeks. pic.twitter.com/mst8N9HxKa
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) March 3, 2024
Harris also addressed Thursday's killing of more than 100 Palestinians in Gaza City while trying to access food aid, saying “too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”
“Our hearts break for the victims of that terrible tragedy,” she said.
Harris also called on Hamas to accept the terms of the cease-fire agreement, which U.S. officials say is widely accepted by Israel.
“Hamas needs to agree to that agreement,” she said. “Let's have a ceasefire. Let's reunite the hostages with their families. And let's provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza.”
Harris' comments come as Biden faces growing pressure from left-wing voters over his support for Israel ahead of the November presidential election.
Democrats are increasingly concerned that Biden's stance on war could cost him votes, especially in Michigan, one of the few swing states that will decide the outcome of the election.
More than 100,000 voters cast their “irresponsible” vote in Michigan's Democratic primary last week, criticizing the president's stance on Gaza.
In 2020, Biden won Michigan, the state with the largest Muslim population in the country, by just about 150,000 votes.
Former President Donald Trump led Michigan by less than 11,000 votes in 2016, becoming the first Republican to win the Midwestern state since 1988.