US Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with one of the leaders of the Jewish majority state's war cabinet, Benny Gantz, in Washington, after calling for a truce of at least six weeks, as the parties negotiate, and that the measure comes into force as soon as possible. Likewise, a meeting between Gantz and Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is scheduled for this Monday, March 4. The direct calls from the US Government for a truce come when the total number of fatalities in Gaza amounts to 30,534, the vast majority civilians, the local Ministry of Health stressed in the last few hours.
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It is the strongest call so far by the United States Government to its ally Israel to pause the attacks in the Gaza Strip.
US Vice President Kamala Harris receives this Monday, March 4, in Washington, the member of the Israeli war cabinet, Benny Gantz, just a day after he publicly called on the Jewish-majority state and Hamas to proceed to an immediate ceasefiregiven “the immense scale of suffering” in the Palestinian enclave.
Harris is expected to personally convey to Gantz the call he made on Sunday during a rally in Selma, Alabama, where he urged an increase in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gazans without pretexts.
“The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid, without excuses, they must open new border crossings, They should not impose unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of aid. They must ensure that humanitarian personnel, sites and convoys are not attacked. And they must work to restore basic services and promote order in Gaza so that more food, water and fuel can reach those who need them,” said the vice president.
After his conversation with Harris, Gantz is also scheduled to meet this week with other senior officials in President Joe Biden's Administration. Among them, Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan.
It is not yet confirmed whether he would also hold a meeting with Biden, who will be at Camp David, on the outskirts of Washington, until Tuesday, March 5.
The US Government – which in the first weeks of the ongoing war ratified its “firm support for Israel” – has begun to qualify its position, as The number of fatalities in Gaza increases, the possibilities of famine and the pressures inside and outside their country increaseahead of the presidential elections next November.
Reproaches from the electorate are on the riseby protecting a war in which the majority of deaths are civilians, as emphasized by the enclave's Ministry of Health and the different United Nations agencies.
In fact, on March 27, in the Democratic Party primary elections, more than 100,000 people voted as “independents,” in a protest vote by pro-Palestinian groups against the Biden Administration for its support for the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Harris' call has been the most direct so far, after Biden supported what he describes as Israel's right to “self-defense”, following the bloody Hamas attack on October 7, in which it killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped about 240.
Frictions in the Israeli Government due to the war in Gaza?
According to an official from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right Likud party, Gantz He arrived in Washington despite not having the approval of the Israeli premier for those meetings.
The source, cited by the American news agency AP, noted that Netanyahu expressed his strong discontent to Gantz, so they had a “difficult conversation,” in which the government leader reminded him that Israel “only has one prime minister.” .
Gantz is a centrist political rival of Netanyahu, but he entered as one of the leaders of the war cabinet, formed just after the Hamas attack, which was initially seen as a sign of unity within the Government, despite political competitions.
But Recent disagreements over Gantz's trip to Washington would highlight a growing rift within the Administration of Netanyahu after almost five months of war.
However, according to statements from a second official to the AP, Gantz intends to strengthen ties with the United States, reinforce support for Israel's war and push for the release of hostages remaining in the hands of Hamas.
The meetings also come after the United States began a series of aid airdrops into Gaza, just days after dozens of Palestinians died while trying to obtain food from a convoy organized by Israel.
The first launch last Saturday, March 2, included around 38,000 meals in southwest Gaza. White House officials have indicated that these air actions will continue to complement ground deliveries, which have been scarce until now, while also working on sending aid by sea.
The US carried out its first aid airdrop in Gaza, in a joint operation with the Royal Jordanian Air Force which delivered 38,000 meals to southwestern Gaza and Mawasi, where over 576,000 people are at risk of famine, according to the UN pic.twitter.com/5u5rQ0oAfz
— TRT World (@trtworld) March 3, 2024
Meanwhile, Israeli troops continue their attacks, with special emphasis on the south of the enclave, where they say the last strongholds of Hamas remain. The total number of fatalities increased this Tuesday to 30,534 and 71,920 injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
With Reuters and AP
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