Kamala Harris attacked Israel over its conduct of the war with Hamas in Gaza in remarks made Saturday at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, saying, “too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”
The criticism comes as the Biden administration is facing enormous political pressure by the Hamas wing of the Democratic Party with reports of Arab Muslims and progressives in swing states including Michigan saying they will not vote for Biden-Harris in the 2024 election because of the administration’s support for Israel. Biden went through a struggle session with Arab Muslims at the White House on October 26 in which he criticized himself for doubting the high number of Palestinian casualties in Gaza claimed by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry: “I’m sorry. I’m disappointed in myself,” he told the group, according to two people familiar with the meeting. “I will do better.” (via the Washington Post)
Harris began her remarks with a recitation of the horrors of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and support for Israel’s right to defend itself, noting that Americans were killed and are still being held hostage. Harris praised the release of about half the hostages held by Hamas that was facilitated by the now ended ceasefire agreement. Harris went on to differentiate the Palestinians in Gaza from Hamas and then blasted Israel for its conduct of the war.
“Let me be also very clear as I have said before. We cannot conflate Hamas with the Palestinian people. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization. Hamas has vowed to repeat October 7 until Israel is annihilated. No nation could possible live with such danger, which is why we support Israel’s legitimate military objectives to eliminate the threat of Hamas. President Biden and I have also been clear with the Israeli government in public and in private many times: As Israel defends itself, it matters how. The United States is unequivocal: International humanitarian law must be respected. Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating. I have spoken with members of the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities of America, including those who have lost loved ones in Gaza and American citizens who were injured and evacuated from Gaza. It is truly heartbreaking. As Israel pursues its military objectives in Gaza, we believe Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians.”
Transcribed by TGP.
Harris followed with the Biden administration’s “five principles for post-conflict Gaza”, mostly focused on Israel: “No forcible displacement, no re-occupation, no siege or blockade, no reduction in territory and no use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism.”
Harris also called for the international community to fund the reconstruction of Gaza and for the Palestinian Authority to assume security for Gaza and to eventually govern Gaza and the West Bank.
Harris said that when the conflict ends Hamas must not control Gaza and Israel must be secure.
Video of Harris’ remarks:
Happening Now: I am giving remarks on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. https://t.co/SZRMRCwcvx
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) December 2, 2023
Israel has for years worked to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza by giving evacuation warnings of targeted buildings and in this conflict by posting and airdropping warnings with maps of safe passages and territories. on December 1 after Hamas broke the ceasefire, The Israel Defense Forces dropped leaflets on Gaza and posted an interactive map for residents of Gaza:
IDF drops leaflets urging residents in the Khan Yunis area to move south to Rafah. pic.twitter.com/Dc1yTSoheb
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) December 1, 2023
The IDF has published an interactive map splitting the Gaza Strip into hundreds of small zones, which it will use to notify Palestinian civilians of active combat zones.https://t.co/rAJdkMRcze pic.twitter.com/rmhAj50sYH
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) December 1, 2023
IDF statement on the map posted December 1 (translated):
Dear residents of Gaza
Please pay attention and check this map. Anyone who sees the block number in which he lives or is near it must track and follow the instructions of the IDF through various media outlets and obey them.
Residents of Gaza! It is a safe way to preserve your safety, your lives, and the lives of your families.
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza against the Hamas terrorist organization, it has been using the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields, planting its headquarters and military infrastructure in their residential areas, hospitals, mosques, and schools, converting civilian sites to military targets, in violation of the international law on the rules of war, which explicitly stipulates that civilians should not be used as human shields. The IDF takes all possible precautions to avoid causing loss of civilian life or injury, adopting all available means. Therefore, it always sends messages to the residents of Gaza by asking them to evacuate the targeted areas that constitute the target of the army’s activities, and directing them in all possible ways, including; Publish a map that includes a list of blocks with their numbers as a means of knowledge that the residents of Gaza rely on as information and news to avoid harm and preserve their lives.
In the published map, the numbers of the blocks in Gaza appear, with a clear call to dear residents of Gaza! Please pay attention and check this map. Anyone who sees the block number in which he lives or is near it must track and follow the instructions of the IDF through various media outlets and obey them.
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