On Sunday, March 24, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats increased pressure on Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. They warned him against a planned offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where millions of Palestinians are sheltering.
In an interview with ABC News, Kamala Harris suggested the move could result in “consequences” for Israel. She said the Biden administration would “rule out nothing” regarding consequences if Netanyahu moved ahead with the assault.
Furthermore, Harris said Washington had been “very clear in terms of our perspective on whether or not that should happen.” According to the UN, many Palestinians fled to Rafah amid the ongoing war sparked by Hamas’ October 7 terror attack.
“We have been clear in multiple conversations,” Harris said. “Any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake.” “Let me tell you something: I have studied the maps. There’s nowhere for those folks to go,” Harris said. “And we’re looking at about a million and a half people in Rafah who were told to go there.”
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Harris’ interview comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he’d approved a plan to invade Rafah. The announcement prompted President Joe Biden to relay “deep concerns” about the safety of the civilians sheltering in the city. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, tens of thousands of people have died in Gaza so far.
Therefore, the war has prompted calls for a ceasefire from many over genocide concerns. During the interview, Harris declined to say if she, like Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, believed Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace. However, she said, “We’ve been very clear that far too many innocent Palestinians have died.”
“We have been very clear that Israel and the Israeli people and Palestinians are entitled to an equal amount of security and dignity,” she added. Kamala Harris’ remarks came as political figures from progressive elements of the Democrats criticized Israel for its actions.
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On Sunday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed the Jewish state and condemned Netanyahu. “The actions of Hamas do not justify forcing thousands, hundreds of thousands of people to eat grass,” she said. “As their bodies consume themselves.” She added, “We are talking about collective punishment, which is unjustifiable.”
On X, Ocasio-Cortez added that starving innocent people to death by halting US humanitarian aid is a “deliberate choice.” “Not only is it irrelevant to those objectives, it brings them further out of reach and endangers hostages,” she added.
“There is no defense for forced famine.” Besides Ocasio-Cortez, other leading democrats condemned Israel for its planned attack. During the interview, Kamala Harris also addressed a domestic issue: the migrant crisis.
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She said she would not rule out executive action to tackle the high number of migrants at the southern border. According to reports, the president has been considering tightening asylum restrictions. As the elections close in, Biden grapples with low approval ratings, especially on immigration, a top American issue.
Republicans have also continued to hammer away at the president over the border. Since conservative lawmakers disagreed on a bipartisan immigration deal, Kamala Harris says the Biden administration will do “what we can.”
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