International

Harris Urges Israel to Do More to Protect Palestinian Civilians

Harris Urges Israel to Do More to Protect Palestinian Civilians

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated on Saturday the "right of Israel to defend itself against Hamas," but emphasized the need to respect international law and humanitarian law, noting that a very large number of Palestinians have been killed. Harris told reporters, "Honestly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are shocking... Therefore, we all want this conflict to end as quickly as possible, ensuring the security of Israel and the safety of the Palestinian people. We must accelerate efforts for a lasting peace."

A statement from the White House on Saturday mentioned that Vice President Harris told Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi that "the United States will not allow 'under any circumstances' the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank." The meeting took place on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai. The statement noted that "Harris discussed with el-Sisi ideas for planning for the post-conflict phase in Gaza, including reconstruction, security, and governance efforts." She stated, "Efforts related to reconstruction, security, and governance in Gaza can only succeed in the context of a clear political horizon for the Palestinian people toward the establishment of their own state."

Additionally, the U.S. Vice President indicated that "the United States calls for a phase-out of coal burning without carbon capture and storage, supporting calls from countries to adopt stronger language, specifically a phase-out rather than a gradual reduction." In front of attendees at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), Harris said, "It is essential that our collective commitment today to rapidly increase renewable energy usage also includes a call to all countries to stop building new coal-fired power plants without carbon capture and storage."

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