Harris expresses to the Israeli Government Washington's deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza
The vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, conveyed this Monday to the minister of the Israeli war government Benny Gantz – rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – the “deep concern” of her Government about the distressing humanitarian situation in Gaza, in the course of a meeting at the White House. Harris, according to the presidential office, has also urged Israel to take more measures to allow more humanitarian aid to enter the strip and to develop a “credible” humanitarian plan before attacking Rafah, where nearly 1.5 million people are crowded. Palestinians, the vast majority already refugees from other areas that Israel has bombed.
The meeting, the first in a series of meetings between Gantz and senior officials of the US Administration during his visit to Washington, comes as pressure increases to achieve a six-week pause in the conflict that has already claimed the lives of more than 30,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health. Harris had urged on Sunday to launch this truce “immediately”, given the “inhumane” conditions of shortages and hunger in the strip.
The meeting took place despite the opposition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who in Joe Biden's three and a half years in office has not yet been received at the US presidential residence. The Israeli minister will meet in the coming days with the National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan; the White House envoy for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, and the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
In his daily press conference, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller denied that these contacts could represent a gesture of criticism towards Netanyahu. “We met with Benny Gatz because he is one of three members of the war government… who has a fundamental vote and a fundamental part in how this war is conducted.”
“The vice president and Minister Gantz addressed the situation in Rafah and the need for a credible and feasible humanitarian plan before considering any major military operation, given the risks to civilians,” indicates the White House statement about the meeting.