Washington, July 26 – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. The appeal was made during a meeting at the White House on Thursday, which lasted about 40 minutes and was described as frank and constructive by British media.

Harris took a stronger stance than President Joe Biden, expressing "serious concern" over the casualties in Gaza and emphasizing the urgency of halting the conflict. She also reiterated the necessity of pursuing a two-state solution to address the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Israel has the right to defend itself," Harris acknowledged, but stressed, "it's how they do it that matters." She voiced concern over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, underscoring that "we cannot allow ourselves to be numb to suffering, and I will not be silent about it."

Harris urged Netanyahu to agree to a cease-fire, saying, "Let's get the deal done so we can go to a cease-fire to end the war. Let us bring the hostages home and bring much-needed relief to the Palestinian people."

The meeting with Harris followed Netanyahu's discussion with President Biden earlier on Thursday. Biden, who recently stepped down from his election campaign, also addressed the Israel-Gaza conflict with the Israeli leader. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday.

The Israel-Gaza war, now in its ninth month, has put Netanyahu under significant pressure both domestically and internationally to find a resolution and bring the conflict to an end.