Readout of Vice President Harris’s Meeting with President Herzog of Israel

Vice President Kamala Harris met today with President Isaac Herzog of Israel in Munich Germany. 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.

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