The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that comments made by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza could "hinder reaching an agreement for the release of hostages." According to the newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth," a senior diplomatic source stated that "the possibility of reaching an agreement may be obstructed if Hamas interprets Harris's comments as a dispute between the United States and Israel."
The potential Democratic presidential candidate expressed her "deep concern" to Netanyahu during their meeting in Washington about the number of casualties in Gaza and urged him to reach an agreement for a ceasefire. Following her meeting with Netanyahu, Harris emphasized that it is time to put an end to the "devastating" war ongoing in Gaza for over nine months.
However, a review of Harris's statements shows they are not different from those made by President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump since the beginning of the war, which also called for an end to the tragedy in Gaza.
"Yedioth Ahronoth" reported that informed sources mentioned that "the negotiating team is worried about Netanyahu's demands that could lead to the failure of the process, and they believe that if the Prime Minister takes a hardline stance, Hamas will surrender, but he is taking a dangerous gamble with the lives of the hostages."
