US vice-president Kamala Harris has urged the Israeli government to “significantly increase the flow of aid” into Gaza. She also called upon Palestinian militant group Hamas to agree to an immediate six-week ceasefire.
In one of the most strongest comments made by a senior US leader, Harris pressed the Israeli government and outlined ways in which more aid can be flown into densely-populated enclave where hundreds of thousands of people are facing starvation.
“Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire. There is a deal on the table, and as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal. Let’s get a ceasefire,” Harris 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 significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses,” she added.
A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo yesterday for the latest round of ceasefire talks, but it was unclear if any progress has been made. Reports in Israeli media said that the Israeli side boycotted the talks after Hamas rejected the demand to name hostages who are still alive.
Earlier, the US government has said that a ceasefire deal is close between both the sides.
Meanwhile, Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz will meet Harris and secretary of state Antony Blinken in Washington today. The death of over 100 Palestinians approaching an aid truck in Gaza has captured the major humanitarian crisis being faced in Gaza.
“We saw hungry, desperate people approach aid trucks simply trying to secure food their family after weeks of barely no aid reaching northern Gaza and they were met with gunfire and chaos,” Harris added.
Israel has denied its role in the killing and said that its soldiers initially fired only warning shots, but later shot at “looters” who “approached our forces and posed an immediate threat”
