VP Harris Doesn’t Rule Out Consequences if Israel Conducts Rafah Offensive

Vice President Kamala Harris said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that she could not rule anything out if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes ahead with a military operation in Rafah.

Partial transcript as follows: 

RACHEL SCOTT: Leader Schumer was very blunt in his remarks on the Senate floor, he called Netanyahu an obstacle to peace. He’s calling for new elections in Israel. The President called that a good speech. What did he mean by that? Does the administration believe that there needs to be new elections in Israel?

HARRIS: Well, I will not speak for Senator Schumer. But we are very clear that that is on the Israeli people to make a decision about when they will have an election and who of course they elect to lead their government. That’s for them to say.

SCOTT: Do you believe that Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace?

HARRIS: I believe that we have got to continue to enforce what we know to be and should be the priorities in terms of what is happening in Gaza. We’ve been very clear that far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. We have been very clear that Israel and the Israeli people and Palestinians are entitled to an equal amount of security and, and dignity. And frankly, we have been very focused on also getting the hostages out and getting aid in.

SCOTT: Netanyahu appears to just be flat out ignoring President Biden’s warning about an offensive in Rafah. Is that a red line for your administration?

HARRIS: We have been clear in multiple conversations and in every way that any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake. Let me tell you something, I have studied the maps–there’s nowhere for those folks to go. And we’re looking at about a million and a half people in Rafah who are there because they were told to go there, most of them. And so we’ve been very clear that it would be a mistake to move into Rafah with any type of military operation.

SCOTT: A mistake, but would there be consequences if he does move forward?

HARRIS: Well, we’re gonna take it one step at a time, but we’ve been very clear in terms of our perspective on whether or not that should happen.

SCOTT: Are you ruling out that there would be consequences from the United States?

HARRIS: I am ruling out nothing.

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