US Vice President Kamala Harris said, in an interview with MSNBC's Al Sharpton, that “the number of innocent Palestinians who have been killed in Gaza is really unconscionable and we have to be honest about that”.
“At the same time, I will always stand in terms of Israel's right to defend itself and we need this war to end," Harris added.
Asked about the elimination by Israel of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who orchestrated the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel, Harris reiterated her position that the war must end and hostages need to be released.
"It's going to be hard, it's going to be difficult, but we have got to get this war over with. We got to get the hostages out, we need the war to end. In fact, we're sending [Secretary of State Antony] Blinken out to go and meet with the parties there,” she told Sharpton.
"The death of Sinwar has removed an obstacle, so we've got to work at it and work at it through diplomatic means," Harris continued.
The Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate has regularly called for a deescalation in the Middle East and for a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
The United States has been pushing an outline for a ceasefire and hostage release deal that President Joe Biden first laid out in May, but Hamas has continuously rejected every proposal that has been presented to it.
Last month, Hamas once again said that its negotiators reiterated the group’s readiness to implement an "immediate" ceasefire with Israel in Gaza based on a previous US proposal without new conditions from any party.
Harris’ interview with Sharpton came days after the controversial incident at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she appeared to agree with a heckler who accused Israel of genocide.
Footage published to social media from last Thursday’s incident showed a pro-Hamas UWM student yelling out at Harris while she was speaking, accusing her of investing “billions of dollars in genocide.”
After the heckler was escorted out of the hall, Harris appeared to endorse his view, telling the crowd the issue “was real.”
A Harris campaign official clarified on the weekend, “That is not the view of the Biden-Harris Administration or the Vice President.”