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CNN
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Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday strongly called for more humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, saying the people in the region are “starving” facing “inhumane” conditions and calling for the strongest response from U.S. officials. As part of the pressure, he called on Israel to do more. date.
Harris, who was in Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, has been closely monitoring the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza and has been involved in post-conflict planning for the besieged coastal enclave.
Her remarks Sunday signaled an escalation of U.S. efforts on the situation in Gaza. “The Israeli government needs to do more to significantly increase aid flows. There are no excuses,” Harris said.
Her comments also came at a critical moment in the Israel-Hamas war. The vice president is scheduled to meet in Washington on Monday with Benny Gantz, a key member of Israel’s war cabinet, as the United States continues to insist on a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages.
“What we see every day in Gaza is devastating. There are also reports of families eating leaves and animal feed. Malnourished with little or no medical care. “Women are giving birth to babies, and children are dying from malnutrition and dehydration,” Harris said as dozens of Palestinians die amid Israeli military gunfire and panic at food lines in the Gaza Strip. He talked about what he had done.
“Our hearts break for the victims of that terrible tragedy and the innocent people of Gaza who are clearly suffering a humanitarian catastrophe. The people of Gaza are starving. It is inhumane,” she continued.
Harris also echoed President Joe Biden’s call for a six-week ceasefire. The proposal would allow for the release of hostages held by Hamas and a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
““Given the untold scale of suffering in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks is necessary, and that is now on the table,” Harris said, drawing cheers from the audience..
“Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire. Well, there’s a deal on the table. And as we said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal. Let’s have a ceasefire. Hostages. Let us reunite the people with their families and provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza,” she added.
On Saturday, the United States and Jordan airlifted humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip after Biden insisted the United States would “do everything possible” to get more aid to the strip.
Government officials touted the effort as a success, but further steps need to be taken to address the crisis in Gaza, including making land crossings available to send more aid to the Gaza Strip. he claimed. Officials are also exploring maritime corridors to deliver aid.
Speaking at the site of a critical moment in the civil rights movement, Harris also spoke on Sunday, 59 years after Bloody Sunday, pointing directly to “extremist” Republican efforts to restrict reproductive rights. He warned that American freedoms were once again at risk, citing connections between Americans and Americans. Rights and other issues.
“Selma, the challenges we face today are no different than those 600 brave souls faced 59 years ago,” he said as 600 people marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. she said before marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of violence in 2017. , calls for an end to discrimination in voter registration.
In 1965, state law and local courts in Alabama attacked people marching on the bridge with clubs and tear gas and drove them back to Selma. Seventeen people were hospitalized by police and dozens more were injured. Months after the atrocity, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law.
“At this moment, we, too, are faced with fundamental questions about what kind of country we want to live in. Do we want to live in a country of freedom, freedom, and justice, or do we want to live in a country of freedom, freedom, and justice, or do we want to live in a country of injustice, hatred, , do we want to live in a land of fear? Each of us has the power to answer that question with our voices, our feet, and our votes,” Harris said Sunday.
The vice president also said that “the fight for freedom is not over,” pointing to efforts to suppress voting rights, reproductive rights, and the ability to live free from gun violence.
Harris’ visit to Selma will be the fifth time she has participated in the annual civil rights pilgrimage. She attended as a senator in 2018, as a presidential candidate in 2020, and as vice president in 2022. She also participated virtually in 2021.
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