New Israeli airstrikes hit the densely populated south of the Gaza Strip
After the seven-day ceasefire agreement expired, Israel resumed airstrikes on Gaza, hitting areas where residents were seeking refuge.
WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris delivered remarks in Dubai on Saturday in which she sharply criticized both Hamas and Israel and said the Biden administration wants to end the conflict and ensure both provide greater protection for Palestinians in Gaza.
Harris, in her most extensive public comments yet on the war in Gaza, stressed that Israel has the right to defend itself against attacks by Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped another 240 in a brutal cross-border attack on October 7. She acknowledged that the U.S.-designated terrorist group wants to wipe out its existence, but added that Israel “must do more to protect civilian life” in its military response.
More: Biden sends $100 million in aid to Gaza. Will any of this end up in the hands of Hamas?
“Too many innocent Palestinians were killed”
In conversations with Israeli leaders, Harris said she and President Biden have stressed: “The United States is clear; International humanitarian law must be respected. Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”
“Frankly, the level of civilian suffering and the images and videos from Gaza are devastating,” Harris added.
The vice president’s comments appear to go further than the Biden administration has in the past in criticizing Israel’s attacks on Hamas in Gaza, which have destroyed much of Gaza City.
Harris made the announcement after a meeting Saturday with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, key mediators in the Israel-Hamas conflict, to discuss efforts to release all hostages held by Hamas and the future of the people of Gaza after the war, according to the statement White House .
The meetings took place on the sidelines of the UN climate change conference COP28 in Dubai, where Harris, along with other senior officials, represents the Biden administration.
Saturday was also the first day after Israel resumed its bombardment of the Gaza Strip following the collapse of a week-long ceasefire with Hamas. The The Israeli military said it hit over 400 people Targets, including many in crowded southern Gaza, where many residents of Gaza City in the north have fled to escape Israeli bombardment.
In total, more than 15,200 Palestinians have been killed since the war broke out nearly two months ago, Gaza’s health ministry said in its latest update on Saturday. At least 200 Palestinians have been killed in the day since fighting resumed, the Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip said.
Call on Israel to show greater restraint
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In her speech, Harris also called on Israel and other parties to show more restraint after the end of the conflict. “No forcible displacement, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, no territorial reduction and no use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism,” she said.
And she said the Palestinian Authority, which oversees the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, needs to strengthen its security forces so it can ultimately assume security responsibility in Gaza.
“Until then,” Harris said, “there must be security arrangements that are acceptable to Israel, the people of Gaza, the Palestinian Authority and international partners.”
“Today, Gaza is once again the most dangerous place in the world for children,” UNICEF said in a statement. “After seven days of calm before the terrible violence, fighting has resumed. This will definitely cause more children to die.”