Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive before a meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, on July 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Kamala Harris sharply pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday about the humanitarian situation in Gaza in “frank” talks that were watched for signs of how she might shift American policy about Israel if she becomes president.

“Israel has a right to defend itself. And how it does so matters,” Ms. Harris told reporters after the meeting. She said she raised her serious concerns about the scale of human suffering in Gaza.

“I made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there,” she said. “I will not be silent.”

Shift from Biden’s approach

Ms. Harris’ remarks, which were sharp and serious in tone, reflected what could be a shift from President Joe Biden in how she deals with Mr. Netanyahu.

Hours earlier, Mr. Biden pressed for a ceasefire to the 9-month-old war in Gaza in his first face-to-face talks with Netanyahu since the president traveled to Israel days after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and pledged American support.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said gaps remain between Israel and the Hamas militants who run the Palestinian enclave in the drive for a ceasefire but “we are closer now than we’ve been before.”

“Both sides have to make compromises,” Mr. Kirby said.

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said: “I think the message from the American side in that meeting will be that we need to get this deal over the line.”

The visit coincides with a shift in American politics. On Sunday, Mr. Biden, 81, stepped aside from the U.S. presidential race under pressure from fellow Democrats and endorsed Harris for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination.

Families of hostages

The White House was ringed with extra security fencing to protect against protesters on Thursday.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu earlier met together with the families of American hostages held by Hamas. Representatives for the families told reporters after the meeting that they were hoping for a ceasefire deal that would bring the hostages home.

“We came today with a sense of urgency,” said Jonathan Dekel-Chen. He said they were more optimistic of a deal since the first release of Israeli hostages from a previous ceasefire.

U.S. President Joe Biden, right, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on July 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House Thursday to discuss the war in Gaza — and the possibility of securing a cease-fire deal — with U.S. President Joe Biden and likely Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

Mr. Netanyahu’s first White House visit since 2020 comes at a time of growing pressure in Israel and the U.S. to find an endgame to the nine-month war that’s left more than 39,000 dead in Gaza and some 1,200 dead in Israel. Dozens of Israeli hostages are still languishing in Hamas captivity.

‘Gaps are closable’

Mr. Biden reiterated in their Oval Office meeting his calls for Israel and Hamas to quickly agree to a ceasefire deal that would bring home the remaining hostages, according to White House national security spokesman John Kirby. White House officials say the negotiations are in the closing stages, but there are issues that need to be resolved.

“The gaps are closable,” Mr. Kirby said. He added, “But it’s going to require, as it always does, some leadership, some compromise.”

Ms. Harris is scheduled to meet separately on Thursday with Mr. Netanyahu. She is also expected to press him on securing a deal to release the hostages kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel that launched the war.

Mr. Netanyahu, last at the White House when former President Donald Trump was in office, is headed to Florida on Friday to meet with the Republican presidential nominee.

Relationship of 40 years

The conservative Likud Party leader Netanyahu and centrist Democrat Biden have had ups-and-downs over the years. Mr. Netanyahu, in what will likely be his last White House meeting with Mr. Biden, reflected on the roughly 40 years they’ve known each other and thanked the president for his service.

“From a proud Jewish Zionist to a proud Irish American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the state of Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu told Mr. Biden at the start of their meeting.

A U.S.-backed proposal to release remaining hostages in Gaza over three phases is something that would be a legacy-affirming achievement for Mr. Biden, who abandoned his reelection bid and endorsed Ms. Harris. It could also be a boon for Ms. Harris in her bid to succeed him.

Following their talks, Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu met with the families of American hostages.

Crucial for Harris

For Ms. Harris, the meeting with Mr. Netanyahu is an opportunity to demonstrate that she has the mettle to serve as commander in chief. She’s being scrutinised by those on the political left who say Mr. Biden hasn’t done enough to force Mr. Netanyahu to end the war and by Republicans looking to brand her as insufficient in her support for Israel.

A senior administration official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said there is “no daylight between the president and vice president” on Israel. Ms. Harris’ last one-on-one engagement with Mr. Netanyahu was in March 2021, but she’s taken part in more than 20 calls between Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu.

Mr. Netanyahu is trying to navigate his own delicate political moment. He faces pressure from the families of hostages demanding a cease-fire agreement to bring their loved ones home and from far-right members of his governing coalition who demand he resist any deal that could keep Israeli forces from eliminating Hamas.

Mr. Netanyahu, in a fiery address before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, offered a robust defence of Israel’s conduct during the war and lashed out against accusations by the International Criminal Court of Israeli war crimes. He made the case that Israel, in its fight against Iran-backed Hamas, was effectively keeping “Americans boots off the ground while protecting our shared interests in the Middle East.”

“Remember this: Our enemies are your enemies,” Netanyahu said. “Our fight, it’s your fight. And our victory will be your victory. ”