US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday (US local time) discussed the latest developments in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
The US Vice President spoke with the Israeli President on the one-month anniversary of Hamas’s terrorist attack against Israel on October 7.
Harris reiterated her support for Israel’s right to defend its citizens and combat terrorism following the Hamas’s attack and underscored her and President Biden’s focus on securing the release of hostages being held by the Hamas, as per a release issued by the White House.
The Vice President emphasised the importance of protecting civilian lives and respecting international humanitarian law. She emphasised the imperative to further increase the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.
During her conversation with Herzog, Harris also raised the need to increase stability and security in the West Bank and hold extremist settlers accountable for violent acts.
Beyond the current conflict, the Vice President underscored the importance of setting conditions now for durable and sustainable peace and security with equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians. She committed to continuing to work with partners throughout the region to that end, as per the official release.
Meanwhile, the White House on Tuesday cautioned Israel against reoccupying Gaza after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that Tel Aviv can consider to “have the overall security responsibility” in Gaza “for an indefinite period” once the war is over, the New York Times reported.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on “CNN This Morning” that “the president still believes that a reoccupation of Gaza by Israeli forces is not good. It’s not good for Israel; it’s not good for the Israeli people.”
“One of the conversations that Secretary (Antony) Blinken has been having in the region is what does post-conflict Gaza look like? What does governance look like in Gaza? Because whatever it is, it can’t be what it was on October 6. It can’t be Hamas,” Kirby added.
The words of caution came after Netanyahu said Israel would need to oversee the security of the Gaza Strip once the fighting is over to prevent future attacks.
The White House’s latest warning comes after Netanyahu told ABC News on Monday that Gaza should be governed by “those who don’t want to continue the way of Hamas” before adding, “I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, have the overall security responsibility because we’ve seen what happens when we don’t have it.”
As per CNN, it was one of the first hints Netanyahu has given about his vision for a post-war Gaza and suggests a divergent view from that of the US, including US President Joe Biden’s own statements about what the future of the strip would look like.
Biden in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” last month said it would be a “big mistake” for Israel to occupy Gaza. At the time, Michael Herzog, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Israel does not intend to occupy Gaza after the conflict ends.
Other sharp gaps have been emerging between the US and Israel as the war continues, as per CNN.
In just under a month, Israeli strikes have killed more than 10,000 people in Gaza and injured more than 25,000 others, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Monday. The figures from the ministry, which operates under the political arm of Hamas, could not be independently verified, but a Pentagon spokesman, Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, acknowledged that “we know the numbers are in the thousands.”
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Wednesday shared a raw footage of some of the weapons found on Hamas’ terrorists on October 7.
“Raw footage: Here are some of the weapons found on Hamas’ terrorists on October 7th. 1,493 hand grenades and explosives, 760 RPGs, 427 explosive belts, 375 firearms, 106 rockets and missiles. These are just a few of the weapons used to massacre over 1,400 Israeli civilians. Weapons used for the killing of innocents,” the IDF wrote on ‘X’.