Vice President Kamala Harris echoed an increasing number of Democrats calling for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war, putting pressure on Hamas to accept a deal amid what she described as a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
“People in Gaza are starving, conditions inhumane, and our common humanity compels us to act,” Harris told a crowd Sunday in Selma, Alabama. “Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks, which is what is currently on the table.”
She continued, “This will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid in; this would allow us to build something more enduring to ensure Israel is secure and to respect the rights of Palestinian people.”
During remarks commemorating the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, a landmark moment of the civil rights movement, Harris criticized both Israel and Hamas, but for different reasons.
“Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire,” she said. “Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal.”
Harris acknowledged the death and destruction that Hamas caused on Oct. 7, contending that the threat the terrorist organization poses to Israel “must be eliminated” and that it has “no regard for innocent life,” including in Gaza.
But the vice president also called on Israel to “do more to significantly increase the flow of aid” in the war-torn territory, a reference to last week’s deaths during a humanitarian drop.
“No excuses,” she said. “They must open new border crossings. They must not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery. They must ensure humanitarian personnel, sites, and convoys are not targeted. They must work to restore basic services and promote order in Gaza, so more water and fuel can reach those in need.”
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Harris also used her platform Sunday to criticize Republicans for trying to introduce more voting rules and restrictions on reproductive healthcare, most recently the Alabama Supreme Court’s disputed decision regarding fertility treatments.
“These extremists tell women they do not have the freedom to end an unwanted pregnancy and, on the other hand, these extremists tell women they do not have the freedom to start a family,” she said. “The government should not be telling her what to do with our body.”
