"Israel has the right to defend itself, but how it does it matters. The position of the United States is clear: international humanitarian law must be respected, and too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. On December 2, local time, U.S. Deputy Secretary Harris made the above statement during his attendance at COP28 in Dubai.
At the request of Biden in the United States, Harris represented Biden at the COP28 Leaders' Summit of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference. According to Reuters, Harris reaffirmed Israel's right to defend against Hamas that day, but now that too many Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, the United States is urging Israel to do more to protect Palestinians. At the same time, she also reiterated the United States' view on the future of Gaza after the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to the report, the United States is increasingly demanding that Israel reduce the area of operations and ensure the safety of Palestinian civilians when it launches an offensive against southern Gaza.
While Israel pursues its military objectives, we believe that Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians. Harris said.
On December 2, local time, U.S. Deputy ** Harris delivered a speech on the issue of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at a press conference held in Dubai.
According to statistics from the Office of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)** on the 28th, since the outbreak of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7, Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip have killed at least 15,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including 6,150 children. More than 36,000 people were injured, 75 per cent of them women and children. At least 6,800 others are missing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told reporters in Tel Aviv that Israel was targeting Hamas and that "we coordinate with international agencies and our American friends to identify safe areas and let people know they can evacuate there." We did that in the north, and we will do it elsewhere, and that's important because we don't intend to hurt people. ”
In her speech, Harris made it clear that the United States will not allow Palestinians to be forcibly relocated from Gaza or the West Bank, and will not allow the siege of Gaza or the redrawing of Gaza's borders.
"The international community must invest significant resources to support the short- and long-term reconstruction of Gaza, such as building hospitals and homes, restoring electricity and clean water, ensuring that bakeries can reopen and replenish stocks," she said. ”
On December 2, 2023 local time, in Washington, D.C., USA, activists representing victims of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict lay on the ground in front of the White House at a rally in support of Palestinians.
Harris asserted that Hamas can no longer govern Gaza and that the Palestinian National Authority's security forces must be strengthened to assume responsibility for Gaza's security, but until then, "there must be security arrangements acceptable to Israel, Gazans, the Palestinian National Authority and international partners." ”
However, Netanyahu objected to this, and he was reluctant to allow the Palestinian National Authority to govern Gaza in its current form after the war ended.
"The Palestinian National Authority does not fight terrorism, it finances terrorism, it does not preach peace, it advocates the disappearance of Israel," he declared. ”
Harris argues that once the conflict is over, reconstruction efforts should move forward and should focus on achieving a "two-state solution" in which Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace.
According to Reuters, the United States** has discussed supporting the Palestinian National Authority in order to expand its influence to include Gaza, but has not yet agreed on a specific plan.
Some U.S. ** privately expressed doubts about the Palestinian National Authority's ability to govern Gaza after the war. Critics accuse the Palestinian National Authority of corruption and mismanagement, and polls show low levels of trust among Palestinians.
This article is an exclusive manuscript of the Observer.com, and it is not allowed to be unauthorized and shall not be allowed.