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US Vice President and Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Friday said that she had a "frank and constructive meeting" with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Harris said that the discussion touched upon US's commitment to Israeli security during which she urged Netanyahu for a ceasefire deal in his country's ongoing war against Hamas. In a post on X, Harris said, "Today, I had a frank and constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu about a wide range of issues, including my commitment to Israel's security, the importance of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the urgent need to get the ceasefire and hostage deal done." https://x.com/VP/status/1816639588066054648 Vice President Harris offered Netanyahu strong support for Israel's right to defend itself after their meeting, but also declared that she "will not be silent" about Palestinian suffering and pressed the parties to finally agree to the long-delayed Gaza cease-fire deal, the New York Times reported. The meeting between Harris and Netanyahu followed an address to a joint session in US Congress by the Israeli PM where he defended his country's operation in Gaza. Earlier on July 17, US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd J Austin, said he discussed the latest round of hostage negotiations with Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant.Austin said he underscored the US's commitment to Israel's security and right to self-defence, remains ironclad. In a post on X, Lloyd said, "I spoke to Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant today about ongoing attacks against Israel by Lebanese Hizballah, enhanced U.S.-Israel military cooperation, and the status of the JLOTS temporary pier. We discussed the latest round of hostage negotiations and reaffirmed our commitment to secure the release of all the hostages held captive by Hamas, including American citizens. I underscored that our commitment to Israel's security and right to self-defence remains ironclad." https://x.com/SecDef/status/1813384201129119960 On June 11, this year the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution vote on the US proposal for a permanent ceasefire and release of the hostages in Gaza. The US-drafted text calls for Hamas to accept a ceasefire proposal announced on May 31 by President Joe Biden that has already been accepted by Israel. The resolution was notably adopted with 14 votes in favour, zero against, and one abstention by Russia, as the country chose not to exercise its veto power. (ANI)
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