US presidential debate: Harris says Gaza war must end as Trump accuses her of anti-Israel sentiment

CAIRO – 11 September 2024: Donald Trump, former US President and Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential elections, has accused Kamala Harris, his Democratic contender, of harboring animosity towards Israel as she advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza, which has been enduring relentless Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023.

Harris and Trump engaged in a heated presidential debate on ABC on Tuesday regarding the war in Gaza. While Harris reiterated her commitment to ensuring Israel's ability to defend itself, Trump warned that under a Harris administration, Israel would cease to exist within a matter of years.

"One year, two years. Israel will no longer exist. I better win, I better win, or you're going to have problems like we've never had," Trump stated.

Harris voiced her support for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, aimed at facilitating the release of Israeli captives, and reiterated her backing for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

She also expressed solidarity with Israel and compassion for the innocent Palestinians who have lost their lives during the ongoing war.

“Israel has a right to defend itself… and how it does so matters, because it is also true far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed — children, mothers. What we know is that this war must end,” she said.

The administration of US President Joe Biden is striving to broker a ceasefire in the protracted Gaza war before the 81-year-old Democratic president exits office following the forthcoming elections in November.

The Gaza war has resulted in numerous Palestinian casualties, killing over 41,000 people and injuring almost 95,000 others, and caused widespread devastation in the enclave.

Its repercussions have extended beyond Gaza with exchanges of attacks between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah, Red Sea assaults on Israel-linked vessels by Yemen's Houthis, and threats of retaliation from Iran following Israel's targeted killings of senior Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, escalating the risk of an all-out war.

Trump has been a proponent of Israel's actions in Gaza and has criticized Biden for what he perceives as insufficient support for Israel in terms of weaponry.

During a presidential debate with Biden on CNN in June, Trump chastised Biden for allegedly restraining Israeli leaders during the Gaza conflict and for not adequately backing their military endeavors.

"You should let them go and let them finish the job," Trump remarked in reference to Israel.

Meanwhile, Harris has been a big defender of Israeli right to defend itself, while also expressing sorrow over the tragic humanitarian situation in Gaza over the past year.

After she formally accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency last August, Harris stated that she will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself against the acts of Hamas against the backdrop of the October 7 attack on Israeli cities.

"At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost. Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking," she added.