The United States will not lessen its “pressure” on Israel and Arab leaders to secure a deal on hostages and establish a ceasefire in Gaza, Vice President Kamala Harris said in an interview released Sunday.
Washington is collaborating with Israel on humanitarian aid and “the need for a deal to be reached that would release the hostages and create a ceasefire. We will not stop applying that pressure on Israel and leaders in the region, including Arab leaders,” Harris told CBS’ *60 Minutes*.
However, CBS’ Bill Whitaker suggested to Harris that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “not listening.” In response, Harris argued that U.S. efforts have “led to several movements in the region by Israel, many of which were the result of our advocacy for what must happen.”
Referring to an Iranian missile strike on Israel, Harris emphasized that it is “our responsibility to do everything we can to ensure Israel can defend itself from such attacks.”
Israel remains on high alert ahead of the anniversary on Monday of Hamas’s October 7 attack, which ignited the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Israel has shifted its attention northward to Hezbollah, Hamas’s Iranian-backed ally in Lebanon, and has vowed to retaliate for the Iranian missile strike.
The attack on Israel by Palestinian militants on October 7 of last year led to the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures, which include hostages killed in captivity. Israel’s military response has killed at least 41,870 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run health ministry, which the UN considers reliable.
When asked if the U.S. has a “real, close ally” in Netanyahu, Harris replied, “The better question is: do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people?” She affirmed, “The answer to that is yes.”
