Vice President Kamala Harris calls for an ‘immediate cease-fire’ in Gaza

SELMA, Ala. — Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday called for an “immediate cease-fire” in the Gaza Strip, saying that Hamas should agree to the six-week pause currently on the table and that Israel should increase the flow of aid into the besieged enclave amid a humanitarian crisis.

Harris’ remarks, delivered in Selma, Alabama, bolstered a recent push by the Biden administration for an agreement and came a day before she was to meet with a top Israeli Cabinet official involved in war planning, potentially increasing tension after President Joe Biden called Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack “over the top.”

But Harris’ tone was sharper and more urgent than Biden’s in recent days, and she also assailed what she called a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and pressed Israel to allow for the increase of aid into the besieged enclave.

Harris, who was in Selma on Sunday for the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, gave her most forceful comments to date on the Middle East conflict, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and put the enclave on the brink of famine.

“People in Gaza are starving,” Harris said. “The conditions are inhumane. And our common humanity compels us to act.”

She added: “Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate cease-fire.” That line drew loud applause from the crowd who had gathered to mark the civil rights event.

Harris reiterated the Biden administration’s support for a six-week cease-fire, which would allow for a pause in fighting and the release of Israeli hostages taken during the attack in Israel. U.S. officials said this past weekend that Israel had all but signed on to the deal, but Hamas has yet to agree to it.

Harris restated the United States’ support for Israel’s right to defend itself against the ongoing threat by Hamas, which she said had no regard for innocent life in Israel or in Gaza.

She also said that Israel must do more to allow for the flow of aid into Gaza, including opening borders, lifting any unnecessary restrictions on aid deliveries and restoring services to Gaza.

“The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid,” she said. “No excuses.”

The remarks came as Harris was scheduled to meet with Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war Cabinet, at the White House on Monday, and as the Biden administration faces immense pressure to limit the carnage in Gaza.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.