Kamala Harris Rebukes Israel, Calls for Immediate Ceasefire

United States Vice President Kamala Harris accused Israel of allowing a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and said, “There must be an immediate ceasefire—for at least the next six weeks.” Her speech in Selma, Alabama, on Sunday was the most condemning rebuke of Israel from the Biden administration.

Aid ambush: Speaking to a crowd commemorating “Bloody Sunday,” a 1965 attack by state police against hundreds of civil rights activists at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Harris referenced an incident that occurred last Thursday when an aid convoy in Gaza was ambushed.

• Israel released drone footage of a crowd of Gazans swarming and looting an aid truck convoy.
• The Israel Defense Forces (idf) said it fired shots when some of the Gazans endangered soldiers and threatened the checkpoint.
• The Hamas Health Ministry, which regularly lies about statistics, claimed Israel killed over 100 people in the ensuing chaos.
• The idf said less than 10 of the casualties were because of Israeli fire; most were crushed in the stampede.

But the United States is still demanding answers from Israel.

People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane and our common humanity compels us to act … and the Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses. They must open new border crossings. They must not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of aid. They must ensure humanitarian personnel, sites and convoys are not targeted. And they must work to restore basic services and promote order in Gaza, so more food, water and fuel can reach those in need.
—Kamala Harris

Ceasefire: Harris said Hamas must accept the proposed ceasefire offer, which asks for the return of all hostages in exchange for a six-week pause in fighting.

Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire. Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal. Let’s get a ceasefire. Let’s reunite the hostages with their families. And let’s provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza.
—Kamala Harris

Broken brotherhood: Most of Harris’s speech was directed against Israel, reflecting the Biden administration’s growing frustration over its offensive in Gaza.

America was once Israel’s strongest ally, but the Biden administration’s response to the October 7 massacre has weakened that brotherhood.

Learn more: Read “Betraying Israel in Its Hour of Need.”