Former Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday that the Biden administration should have acted “sooner and more forcefully” to restrain Israel during the war in Gaza, criticizing the Israeli government’s “horrific conduct” and accusing President Donald Trump of giving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “blank check.”

Speaking at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, South Korea, Harris said the United States had fallen short of its “moral obligation to human rights and international law” by failing to use its influence to curb Israel’s actions in Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. The remarks came during a broader speech focused on American leadership and artificial intelligence.

Harris largely avoided breaking publicly with former President Joe Biden’s policies toward Israel during her unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign, maintaining her support for Israel’s right to defend itself while expressing concerns about Palestinian civilian casualties.

Since leaving office, Harris has become more critical of the Biden administration’s response to the war. 

In her 2025 memoir, 107 Days, Harris criticized Biden’s public remarks about Palestinian suffering, arguing that his expressions of sympathy appeared inadequate compared to his more passionate declarations of support for Israel.

The comments come as Harris weighs another presidential campaign in 2028.