Striking A New Tone, Harris Assails Israel For Gaza Deaths After Meeting With Netanyahu

On Thursday, Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office, accompanied by the families of eight U.S. hostages currently being held in Gaza.

Harris reportedly surprised the prime minister by making public comments criticizing the government for mass civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza just 40 minutes after their meeting.

“I also expressed with the prime minister my serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of far too many innocent civilians,” said Harris.

“And I made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there with over two million people facing high levels of food insecurity and half a million people facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity.”

“To everyone who has been calling for a cease-fire, and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you and I hear you,” said Harris after Netanyahu left the White House.

“What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating – the images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time,” she added. “We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering and I will not be silent.”

An Israeli official stated after Harris’ remarks that her public comments were “much more critical than what she told Netanyahu in the meeting.”

The official also expressed concern that Harris’ comments might not only anger Netanyahu but also jeopardize ongoing hostage negotiations with Hamas.

In her public remarks, the vice president also condemned Hamas.

“On October 7, Hamas triggered this war when it massacred 1,200 innocent people, including 44 Americans. Hamas has committed horrific acts of sexual violence and took 250 hostages,” stated Harris.

She added, “There are American citizens who remain captive in Gaza: Sagui Dekel-Chen, Hersch Goldberg-Polin, Edan Alexander, Keith Seigel, Omer Neutra,” and “President Biden and I are working every day to bring them home.”

Harris also pledged her “unwavering” support for Israel’s right to exist.

“I told [Netanyahu] that I will always ensure that Israel is able to defend itself including from Iran and Iran-backed militias, such as Hamas and Hezbollah. From when I was a young girl, collecting funds to plant trees for Israel, to my time in the United States Senate and now at the White House, I’ve had an unwavering commitment to the existence of the State of Israel, to its security and to the people of Israel,” she declared.

Earlier that day, Netanyahu and President Joe Biden met for three hours to discuss the Gaza hostages and a potential cease-fire deal.

Israeli officials “stressed” that Netanyahu’s meeting with Harris was not “tense or difficult” but noted that Biden’s meeting was more productive in advancing potential deals.

Article by Riley Flynn