White House toned down VP’s Gaza speech – media — RT World News

White House national security officials reportedly toned down a recent letter written to US Vice President Kamala Harris over concerns that her prepared remarks about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza were overly critical of Israel.

The original draft of the letter was deemed too harsh on Israel when it was sent to the US National Security Council for review. NBC News It was reported Tuesday, citing unidentified officials in the Biden administration. Harris' speech on Sunday called for a six-week ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas as part of a proposed deal to free hostages and deliver more humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“The move to tone down Harris’ comments highlights how reluctant the White House is to harshly criticize Israel publicly as President Joe Biden tries to maintain some leverage over the Israeli government and secure a hostage deal.” NBC said.

This mitigation also comes at a time when Biden is campaigning for re-election and faces political backlash over his administration's support for Israel in its war against Hamas. An opinion poll published by the research company Data for Progress last week showed that 57% of American voters disapprove of Biden's handling of the Gaza crisis. Only 36% of respondents approve of his policies. Two-thirds of American voters support the call for a permanent ceasefire.

Harris' originally prepared remarks pressed Israel directly on the need to immediately allow additional aid trucks into the Palestinian enclave, NBC reported. The revisions primarily modified its tone letterInstead of making policy changes. A spokeswoman for the vice president denied that her rhetoric had been toned down.

In the final version, Harris denounced the situation in Gaza, describing the situation as a… 'Humanitarian disaster' She added, “People in Gaza are starving. Conditions are inhumane, and our shared humanity compels us to act.” The Vice President also insisted that the Israeli government “We must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid.”

More than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the latest conflict erupted in October after Hamas militants launched surprise raids on villages in southern Israel, killing more than 1,100 people and taking hundreds of hostages to Gaza. Since then, more than 85% of the population of the besieged Strip have been displaced due to Israeli bombing, and an estimated 570,000 people are suffering from hunger, according to United Nations estimates.