Israel Needs an Instant Coupling: The Vice President Biden Address Address to the Palestinian War on the Fourth Day of the Second World War
Although Ms. Harris has not strayed too far from President Biden’s war message, in a speech on Sunday she took a tougher tone in demanding an “immediate cease-fire.” She repeated her stance that the President and she were unwavering in their commitment to Israel’s security.
She said that Israel needs to do more to allow aid to be flowed into Gaza, including opening borders and lifting restrictions on aid deliveries.
Harris reiterated the Biden administration’s commitment to Israel’s security and its right to defend itself against future attacks by Hamas.
The White House said Vice President Harris advocated for a pause in the fighting with a member of Israel’s war cabinet.
She added: “Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate cease-fire.” That line drew loud applause from the crowd that had gathered to mark the civil rights event.
Harris spoke at the annual commemoration of “Bloody Sunday,” in Selma, Ala., a symbolic site in the U.S. fight for civil rights, where in 1965 state troopers beat peaceful protesters.
The Gaza Crisis: A U.S. Congressman’s View of the Vice President’s Propagation of Food in the Gaza Strip
The White House description said that the vice president expressed deep concern about the humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the recent tragedy surrounding an aid convoy. She urged Israel to take additional measures in cooperation with the United States and international partners to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza
At least 115 people died when Israeli soldiers killed Palestinians attempting to get food from an aid convoy in Gaza City on Thursday. The Israeli military on Sunday released a statement saying most of the civilians died in a stampede and that Israeli soldiers only “responded” to civilians approaching them.
There is a lot of destruction in Gaza. Harris said they have seen reports of families eating leaves or animal feed and newborn babies with little or no medical care. “Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”
The meeting came as the United States said it would continue to deliver food in an effort to confront what humanitarian groups say is a crisis for more than one million displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza.
In meetings at the White House, she has been forceful in urging the administration not to dismiss the anger from Palestinian Americans and others in the United States, who contend that Mr. Biden has not done enough to prevent the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, according to four people familiar with the matter.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Israel has one Prime Minister – but how can we make it better? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to Washington after the Gaza War
Netanyahu, who is holding on to power with a narrow majority in the Knesset, called for unity in the country in a speech on Thursday night.
Regular anti-government protests are being held by Israelis who are angry over the fact that he has not been able to free the remaining 134 hostages still being held in captivity.
The visit to Washington by a leader of the opposition comes at a time of continued protests against Netanyahu over the war in Gaza and calls for early elections.
Even before the war, there was a rift between Netanyahu and Gantz over a number of issues – from Israel’s military operations in Gaza to whether ultra-Orthodox men should be compelled into military service.
However, in a Facebook post, Knesset member Hili Tropper, a member of the National Unity Party, wrote, “There is indeed one prime minister for Israel…but we also have one Israel and anyone who can help for its success in the war must do so… The time is ripe for partnership for the benefit of the State of Israel, so it is necessary to put the ego aside and focus on it.
Israeli media reports that Gantz’s visit to Washington was not pre-authorized by the prime minister’s office, and that Netanyahu has asked that the Israeli embassy decline to facilitate Gantz’s trip and to not allow any embassy staff to attend any of his meetings. There were reports of a heated phone conversation in which Netanyahu reportedly told his rival that Israel has only one prime minister.
Adele Khodr, regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at UNICEF, called for “entry points that would allow us to bring aid in from all possible crossings, including to northern Gaza; and security assurances and unimpeded passage to distribute aid, at scale, across Gaza, with no denials, delays and access impediments.”
Previous negotiations in Cairo and in Doha, Qatar, failed to achieve any breakthroughs, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling Hamas demands “delusional.”
According to the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 25% of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents are one step away from famine. The WHO recorded the 10th child in Gaza who had been starving to death.
The southernmost city in the Gaza Strip is Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of people have been staying for weeks. The Israeli military has been carrying out sporadic strikes there, including a strike on Saturday afternoon that killed 11 people and wounded at least 50 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Fourteen members of the same family were killed in eastern Rafah on Saturday, and as many as 10 others were trapped under rubble.
Gantz has already issued an ultimatum to Hamas: Return the hostages by the start of Ramadan, or “the fighting will continue everywhere, to include the Rafah area.”
The goal has been to secure a cease-fire deal prior to the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan — which begins around March 10 — in order to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The source told NPR that Hamas is demanding temporary housing in Gaza until reconstruction is completed in the enclave, where at least 60% of homes have been destroyed by the war. They also want the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the return of Palestinians who were displaced from northern Gaza.
A source close to the talks says that a delegation from Hamas will be in Cairo until Tuesday and will be meeting with the Egyptians and Qataris to broker a cease-fire and swap Palestinian prisoners for Israeli ones.