Harris expresses 'unwavering and unequivocal' support for Israel in first formal interview

Democratic presidential candidate, accompanied by running mate Tim Walz, says she will continue policies of President Joe Biden towards the war in Gaza

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz sat down for their first interview on Thursday night, with the Vice President reiterating her commitment to Israel's security.

“Let me be very clear: I'm unequivocal and unwavering in my commitment to Israel's defence and its ability to defend itself, and that's not going to change,” Ms Harris said, highlighting the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on communities in southern Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 abducted.

More than 40,600 people have been killed in Israel's strikes and ground offensive in Gaza, since then.

She added that she would continue the policies of President Joe Biden towards Israel and the war, and that she would not support any restrictions on arms transfers to the country.

“Let's get the hostages out. Let's get the ceasefire done,” she said. “A deal is not only the right thing to do to end this war, but will unlock so much of what must happen next.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters and progressive Democrats have been calling on Ms Harris to end arms transfers to Israel over concerns American-made weapons are being used against civilians in the conflict.

The Vice President also said that “far too many” Palestinians have been killed in the war and that she remains committed to working towards a two-state solution “where Israel is secure and, in equal measure, the Palestinians have security and self-determination and dignity”.

The sentiments echo those made in her speech to the Democratic National Convention last week, when she emphasised the importance of bringing about an end to the fighting in addition to ensuring self-determination for Palestinians.

The interview with CNN covered a wide range of topics, from foreign policy to immigration to the call from Mr Biden saying he was ending his re-election bid.

Ms Harris rose to the top of the Democratic ticket last month when Mr Biden announced his decision to end his re-election bid.

She described Mr Biden as “smart” and “loyal to the American people”, and said his presidency would be looked back on as “transformative”.

Before the interview was announced, Republicans had accused Ms Harris of avoiding the media and sticking to scripted remarks at campaign events.

The Trump campaign has kept a tally of the number of days since she became a presidential candidate that she has failed to give an interview.

Despite the attacks frequently traded by both sides on the campaign trail, Ms Harris avoided going after Mr Trump too much during the interview, and even said she was open to having a Republican in her cabinet.

“`I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion. I think it's important to have people at the table when some of the most decisions are being made that have different views, different experiences, and I think it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my cabinet who was a Republican,” she said.

Asked about how her stances on various issues have changed over the years, Ms Harris said that “the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed”, giving as evidence her support for climate change legislation and border security.

This last has become a particularly painful thorn in the side of Democrats, whom Republicans accuse of being soft on illegal immigration. Republicans have called Ms Harris a “failed border tsar”, though her allies say she was given the job of tackling migration at source.

But Ms Harris appears ready to take a firm line on the topic if elected, saying: “I believe there should be consequences. We have laws that have to be followed and enforced. I would enforce our laws as press going forward. I recognise the problem.”