According to a report by Jerusalem Post, Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, announced on Thursday that Israel will fully withdraw from Gaza in the second phase of the hostage deal being negotiated between Israel, Hamas, and the United States.
In statements delivered after her meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Harris expressed optimism about the possibility of securing the release of the remaining 115 hostages.
She referenced the three-phase proposal laid out by President Joe Biden on May 31, stating that the first phase would bring about a full ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from population centers in Gaza, while the second phase would see a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.
“There has been hopeful movement in the talks to secure an agreement on this deal,” Harris said as she referenced the three-phase proposal US President Joe Biden had laid out at the White House on May 31.
“The first phase of the deal would bring about a full ceasefire, including a withdrawal of the Israeli military from population centers in Gaza,” Harris stated.
“In the second phase, the Israeli military would withdraw from Gaza entirely, and it would lead to a permanent end to hostilities,” she stated.
Harris underscored Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, which she described as a “brutal terror organization” that triggered the Gaza war in October 2024 by attacking Israel and taking hostages.
However, she also expressed serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the deaths of innocent civilians and the dire humanitarian situation faced by over 2 million people.
The Vice President reiterated her commitment to a two-state solution as the path to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She called for an end to the war in a way that secures Israel, releases all hostages, ends the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, and allows the Palestinian people to exercise their right to freedom, dignity, and self-determination….Seë _ Morë