Benny Gantz, a centrist political rival of Netanyahu, is
scheduled to meet several senior Biden administration officials including
Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, the White House
national security adviser. President Joe Biden is at Camp David, the
presidential retreat just outside Washington, until Tuesday.
An official from Netanyahu’s far-right Likud party said
Gantz did not have approval from the prime minister for his meetings in
Washington and that Netanyahu gave the Cabinet official a “tough talk” —
underscoring the widening crack within Israel’s wartime leadership nearly six
months into the Israel-Hamas war.
In her meeting with Gantz, Harris plans to press for a
temporary cease-fire deal that would allow for the release of several
categories of hostages being held by Hamas. Israel has essentially agreed
to the deal, according to a senior Biden administration official, and the White
House has emphasized that the onus is on Hamas to come on board.
“Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be
an immediate cease-fire for at least the next six weeks, which is what is
currently on the table,” Harris said during an appearance in Selma, Alabama, on
Sunday. “This will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid
in.”
Harris continued, “This
would allow us to build something more enduring to ensure Israel is secure and
to respect the right of the Palestinian people to dignity, freedom and
self-determination.”
For his part, Gantz intends to strengthen ties with the US,
bolster support for Israel’s war and push for the release of Israeli hostages,
according to a second Israeli official. The officials spoke on condition of
anonymity because they weren’t allowed to publicly discuss the disputes within
the Israeli government.
The meetings also come as the US begins a series of
airdrops of aid into Gaza, just days after dozens of Palestinians were
killed as they were trying to get food from an Israel-organized convoy.
The first drop on Saturday included about 38,000 meals into
southwest Gaza, and White House officials have said those airdrops will
continue to supplement truck deliveries, while they also work on sending aid
via sea.
In Selma on Sunday, Harris called on Israel to “do more to
significantly increase the flow of aid.”
“No excuses,” she said. “They must open new border
crossings. They must not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of
aid.”
Harris previously met Gantz at the Munich Security
Conference in 2022.
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