Members of "Israel's" right-wing government have criticized Kamala Harris following her call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which came after her meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the US.

Following the meeting on Friday, Harris told reporters it was time to secure a Gaza ceasefire deal immediately, saying, "It is time for this war to end and the end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity, and self-determination."

"And as I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu it is time to get this deal done. Let's get the deal done. So we can get a ceasefire to end the war. Let's bring the hostages home. And let's provide much-needed relief to the Palestinian people," she added.

Many families of captives hailed Harris' call. 

An unnamed Israeli official claimed as quoted by The Guardian that Harris’ remarks might jeopardize efforts to negotiate the release of Israelis and Israelis with other nationalities in Gaza. The official further alleged that Hamas might interpret Harris' comments as a sign of a rift between the US and "Israel", potentially complicating the negotiation process.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, "Israel’s" far-right Police Minister, who endorsed Donald Trump’s candidacy this week, quickly entered the debate, tweeting, “There will be no truce, Madam Candidate.

Ben-Gvir had previously tweeted support for Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, where the Prime Minister avoided mentioning a ceasefire, criticized the International Criminal Court, and claimed that “victory is in sight.”

Related News

Cholera devastates Darfur region amid conflict, US aid cuts

US uses tariffs to strongarm India on Russia ties

Netanyahu's US visit sparks controversy

Netanyahu's visit, his first international trip since the beginning of the Israeli genocide in Gaza that killed more than 39,175 Palestinians, has been divisive in both Washington and "Israel" since his ministerial jet took off from Tel Aviv.

While his supporters praised his Congress speech, especially his criticisms of Iran, many critics and families of the captives were disappointed that Netanyahu did not announce a ceasefire or an exchange deal during his Washington visit. Additionally, the delay in sending Israeli negotiators to Doha, where they were expected earlier this week, has further fueled dissatisfaction.

Xavier Abu Eid, a Palestinian political analyst, said as quoted by The Guardian that Netanyahu’s speech only deepened animosity toward him.

“I don’t think anyone believed a word of what Netanyahu said … he didn’t speak about policy, it was just a combination of slogans. It was insulting not only to the Palestinian victims of this war, but to American citizens demonstrating for Palestinian rights,” he stressed.

Yair Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader, also bashed Netanyahu’s speech. “We heard Netanyahu talking about October 7 as if he had no idea who was the prime minister and who was responsible for the disaster,” he said on X. “Netanyahu had the opportunity to announce that he accepts the deal and returns the kidnapped before they all die in the tunnels. He didn’t do it.”

As the war on Gaza rages and a ceasefire is yet to be implemented, families of Israeli captives are growing more impatient with the Israeli leadership. 

In response to Netanyahu's speech, the Israeli advocacy organization the "Hostages and Missing Families Forum" stated, "45 minutes of speech and applause won't erase the one sad fact: the words 'Deal Now!' were absent from the prime minister's address."

Before his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump also called for an immediate ceasefire, but his comments did not elicit any response from Netanyahu’s right-wing supporters.

The former president told Fox News he wanted Netanyahu to “finish up and get it done quickly … because they are getting decimated with this publicity”.