According to a report by Times of Israel, Vice President Kamala Harris’s public call to end the Gaza war and highlight the humanitarian crisis in the region has been met with criticism from an Israeli official, who believes it will lead Hamas to take a tougher stance in negotiations.
During her meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris emphasized the need to address the severe humanitarian situation in Gaza, which the Israeli official claims was based on inaccurate information. Netanyahu provided Harris with a detailed factual account of the situation on the ground, countering her claims about acute food insecurity, civilian suffering, and high numbers of innocent people killed.
The Israeli official pointed to a directive issued by Netanyahu after the controversy over photos of bound Palestinian men, who were later confirmed to be Hamas fighters. The directive required the Israeli Defense Forces to allow suspects to dress immediately after inspections, following public outcry.
The official expressed concern that Harris’s remarks would be interpreted by Hamas as a gap between the U.S. and Israel, potentially leading to regression in the talks. Despite this criticism, the official speculated that ties with the Biden administration would not deteriorate significantly, as Harris takes a larger role in the administration.
“What is Hamas supposed to think when it hears this?” the official continues, suggesting such talk will lead the terror group to toughen its demands. “I hope it won’t lead to regression in the talks because we’ve made a lot of progress.”
The Israeli official noted that while Harris’s public remarks were problematic, the overall relationship with the U.S. was on a path of cooperation and closing gaps. However, the official emphasized that Harris’s press conference had the potential to complicate the situation….Seë_Morë