Kamala Harris calls for immediate Gaza ceasefire
US Vice President Kamala Harris called on Sunday for a proposed six-week ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war to be accepted, while criticising Israel over insufficient aid deliveries into Gaza. "Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks, which is what is currently on the table," Harris said during a speech in Selma, Alabama. Her comments were the strongest to date by a US administration official on Israel since the war started, as President Joe Biden comes under acute pressure over his support for Israel and the civilian death toll in Gaza soars. A senior US official said on Saturday that Israel had broadly accepted the deal, which would see a six-week cessation of hostilities if Hamas agrees to release the most vulnerable hostages it holds. The deal "will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid in," Harris said, calling on Hamas to accept the deal. "Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire. Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal." The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the death of around 1,160 people in Israel, most of them civilians, with around 250 people believed to have been taken hostage. The Israeli army says 130 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom 31 are believed to be dead. Israel's military response has claimed 30,410 deaths, most of them women and children, according to the Gaza's health ministry. In unusually strong language, Harris called on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take steps to increase aid into Gaza. "The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses," Harris said. She added that Israel "must open new border crossings" and "must not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of aid." (AFP)