Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris called out Israel on Sunday for not doing enough to ease a "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza and called for an extended pause in hostilities to be implemented immediately. Her statement is perceived as the harshest criticism of Israel coming from a representative of the American administration.
"Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks, which is what currently is on the table. It will allow for the return of hostages and provide significant aid to Gaza," she said.
"People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane and our common humanity compels us to act. The Israeli government must do more to increase the flow of aid significantly. No excuses," the Vice President stated.
She also called on Hamas to agree to the terms of the ceasefire, which, according to American mediators, have already been accepted by Israel.
Her comments underlined intense frustration within the U.S. government about the war, which has hurt President Joe Biden with left-leaning voters as he seeks re-election this year.
