Kamala Harris to discuss Israel-Gaza war with Israeli PM Netanyahu at White House

US Vice President Kamala Harris is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House this week, where she is likely to discuss that the war must conclude keeping both Israel's legitimate security concerns in view, while also respecting the humanitarian needs and dignity of the Palestinian people.

Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, will meet Netanyahu during his visit to Washington, even as she skips his address to a joint session of Congress.

“The vice president is meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu this week at the White House. This meeting is separate from President Biden's planned meeting. The vice president is travelling to Indianapolis on July 24 for a previously scheduled event and will be unable to preside over Prime Minister Netanyahu's planned address to a joint session of Congress,” an aide to Vice President Harris told while talking to news agency PTI.

“We anticipate the Vice President will convey her view that it is time for the war to end in a way where Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can enjoy their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination. And they will discuss efforts to reach agreement on the ceasefire deal,” the aide was quoted as saying.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address a joint session of the US Congress on July 24. This is his fourth address to a US Congress, the most that any foreign leader has delivered.

House Speaker has slammed Harris for skipping the joint session as it is usually presided over by the Vice President. Harris, however, would not be able to attend this because of her pre-scheduled event in Indianapolis.

Harris is facing criticism from her political opponents for skipping the joint session. However, her team has defended the decision, saying “Her travel to Indianapolis on July 24 should not be interpreted as a change in her position with regard to Israel. This is a statement confirming her travel plans."

Harris has had an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel throughout her career, and that remains true today, the aide said.

Although Harris has been a forceful voice on the Israel-Hamas war, especially in highlighting the plight of innocent Palestinians, she is unlikely to express views that differ from the current policy of the US.

This year, in a civil rights speech in Selma, Ala., Harris had called for an “immediate cease-fire” and assailed Israel for creating a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza garnering widespread attention.

Meanwhile, Harris opened up a marginal two-percentage-point lead over Republican Donald Trump after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and passed the torch to her, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The new poll, conducted on July 22-23, has Harris leading Trump 44% to 42%, which is within the 3% margin of error. This represents a shift from the previous week's poll, where Biden trailed Trump by 2 points before dropping out.