From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 16, 2024
Harris reiterates to Herzog that US only will back Rafah operation if civilians can be protected
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
The White House issues a readout from US Vice President Kamala Harris’s meeting earlier today with President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
The readout is a regurgitation of US talking points on the war, with no new stances.
“The vice president reiterated her steadfast support for Israel and its right to defend itself in the face of threats from Hamas, and she again condemned Hamas as a barbaric terrorist organization that perpetrated a horrific massacre on October 7.”
“The vice president and president discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas and achieve a prolonged pause in fighting.”
“The vice president also emphasized the importance of protecting civilians, increasing humanitarian assistance and ensuring proper deconfliction mechanisms to ensure that aid can reach those in need inside Gaza.”
“The vice president reaffirmed the Biden-Harris Administration’s position that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there.”
“The leaders also discussed ongoing planning for post-conflict Gaza and progress made on that front, and the Vice President reiterated U.S. positions, including that Israel must be secure, there must be no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and the Palestinians must enjoy their right to freedom, dignity, security, and self-determination,” the readout concludes
