After Israel forces rescued four hostages in a raid that led to a firefight to cut their way out, Vice President Kamala Harris mourned “innocent” Palestinians killed.
Harris cited the dramatic rescue in a speech in Detroit on Saturday, in which she summed up the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel civilians as a “brutal massacre,” but then spoke kindly of those who did and supported the killing.
“And we mourn all of the innocent lives that have been lost in Gaza, including those tragically killed today,” she said, according to the Detroit News, referring to the rescue and the fight it took to bring them back to Israel.
One anti-Israel protester who interrupted Harris was removed.
“I am speaking right now. I value and respect your voice, but I am speaking right now,” Harris said.
She noted that the Biden administration’s goals in the Middle East include an agreement that “brings home all hostages, ends the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people, and ensures that Palestinians can enjoy their right to self-determination, dignity, and freedom.”
The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas and does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, claims more than 270 Palestinians were killed in the raid. Israel puts the number at fewer than 100, according to Fox News.
Israel Defense Forces representative Peter Lerner defended Israel’s planning and conduct during an appearance on the ABC program “This Week.”
“We need to keep in mind that all of our war efforts is crafted and designed about bringing back the hostages. So, for the success of this operation, at this time, I believe that it was a – a huge feat from a professional perspective, but also in the level of morale and here in Israel, and it was a very, very jubilant day yesterday where people were cheering on the beaches of Tel Aviv and dancing outside of hospital, where the hostages were brought later for their medical examinations,” he said.
Has the Biden administration made the situation in Israel even worse?
He later noted that “every civilian life lost in this war is a tragedy. Every civilian life lost in this war is a result of how Hamas has operated.”
Kamala Harris mourns death of Palestinians in raid that rescued 4 Israeli hostages. War is hell and Hamas started it. Innocent people die that’s just a fact. Palestinians voted in Hamas so all I can say is oh well. Mourn nothing, period. I mourn Oct 7 for Israelis 👊👊
— Joey C (@Jocava327919) June 9, 2024
“Let’s think about, just for a moment, where they were holding the hostages. Within civilian houses. Within people’s apartments — in the same apartment they were being held where the families that owned the apartments. This exemplifies specifically how Hamas [is] operating,” he said.
Lerner noted that Israeli forces were attacked as they rescued Noa Argamani, Almog Meir, Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv “in an attempt to kill both them and the hostages.”
“The forces came under fire from a 360-degree threat: RPGs, AK-47s, explosive devices on the way, mortar rounds. It was and is a war zone. And so civilians in that — the tragedy of civilians being forced up in this is precisely because of how Hamas is battling us on the battleground,” he said.
Kamala Harris publicly mourned the deaths of the 100 Hamas terrorists and supporters killed in Israel’s raid to free the Jewish hostages they were holding. No need to mourn, Kamala. Just tell your terrorist friends to release the hostages next time. https://t.co/VEX8oCbg5D
— Tara Servatius (@TaraServatius) June 9, 2024
Lerner said the bottom line of the war is: “Hamas has to go.”
“Hamas cannot be trusted with the powers of government because that is what they will do,” Lerner continued. “They will build a terrorist army. They will infiltrate into Israel and abduct partygoers from the Nova party and held them hostage in places like Nuseirat in apartment buildings.”
Lerner added that “the war can be over today if Hamas lets the hostages free. Is that too much to ask?”
