US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week at the White House, an aide to Harris said on Monday, according to Reuters.
The aide added that Harris will be unable to preside over Netanyahu's planned address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, as she is traveling to Indianapolis that day for a previously-scheduled event.
In her one-on-meeting with Netanyahu, Harris plans to reiterate her commitment to Israel’s security and right to defend itself but will also “convey her view that it is time for the war to end in a way where Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can enjoy their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination,” the aide said, as quoted by Politico.
Harris also plans to discuss the ongoing negotiations on a ceasefire deal, according to the report.
Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet President Joe Biden while in Washington, though it is unclear when that meeting will take place as the President is still recovering from COVID-19.
A person familiar with Biden’s schedule said on Sunday that the meeting will take place as planned, despite Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race.