Kamala Harris blasts 'despicable acts' of protesters who burned US flag

Protesters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Congress who burned an American flag and chanted pro-Hamas slogans near the U.S. Capitol drew strong criticism Thursday from the likely presidential candidates of both major parties.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who was not in Washington for the speech, issued a statement condemning the "despicable acts by unpatriotic protesters and dangerous, hate-fueled rhetoric."

"That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way," said Harris, who later Thursday had what she called a "frank'' conversation about the war with Netanyahu.

Former President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News on Thursday, criticized the protesters and called for a one-year jail sentence for those who burned a U.S. flag. The Supreme Court has ruled flag burning is a form of protected free speech.

Outside Union Station in the nation's capital Wednesday, demonstrators burned at least one U.S. flag and replaced the ones flying at Columbus Circle with Palestinian flags before authorities removed those.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement late Wednesday that everyone has a right to protest but "shamefully, not everyone demonstrated peacefulness."

“Identifying with evil terrorist organizations like Hamas, burning the American flag, or forcibly removing the American flag and replacing it with another, is disgraceful," he said. "Antisemitism and violence are never acceptable. Period.”

Police deploy pepper spray: Netanyahu protesters converge on Capitol

Developing: 

∎ Negotiations on a cease-fire and hostage deal in the Gaza conflict appear to be in their "closing stages," a senior official told reporters. Netanyahu was meeting Thursday with President Joe Biden to discuss remaining gaps, the official said during a call previewing the meeting.

∎ The Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq, which houses U.S.-led forces, avoided damage when several rockets launched in its direction late Thursday failed to strike, according to U.S. and Iraqi sources.

∎ Mustafa Muhammad Abu Ara, a Hamas leader held in Israeli captivity in the West Bank, died early Friday of poor health, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs said. He was 63.

∎ Israeli President Isaac Herzog will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron just hours before the Olympics opening ceremony Friday in Paris. Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee and Macron rejected a Palestinian demand that Israel be barred from the Games over the war in Gaza.

Harris on meeting with Netanyahu: 'I will not be silent'

Harris appeared to take a sterner public stance toward Israel's military operations in Gaza than President Joe Biden after meeting Thursday with Netanyahu, a possible sign of a shift in policy from the presumptive Democratic nominee.

“Israel has a right to defend itself. And how it does so matters,” Harris told reporters, saying she and Netanyahu had a "frank'' discussion about living conditions in Gaza, where tens of thousands have died and food shortages are rampant.

“I made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there,” Harris said. “I will not be silent.”

Harris said she also pressed Netanyahu on cease-fire negotiations, telling him “it is time to get this deal done.”

Israel warns of possible terror attack at Olympics

Israeli authorities have warned French officials of a possible plot to attack Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz sent a letter to French counterpart Stéphane Séjourné claiming an Iranian-backed plot. Details were not released. It was not clear whether the warning was related to the detention this week of two people accused of plotting terror attacks. The suspects are from the Bordeaux area of southwest France.

“There are those who seek to undermine the celebratory nature of this joyous event,” Katz wrote in a letter translated by the Times of Israel. “We currently have assessments regarding the potential threat posed by Iranian terrorist proxies and other terrorist organizations who aim to carry out attacks against members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists during the Olympics.”

Paris plans to deploy about 35,000 police officers each day for the Olympics and a peak of 45,000 for the opening ceremony. An additional 10,000 soldiers are joining security operations in the Paris region.

Bodies of five hostages returned to Israel

The bodies of five Israelis killed Oct. 7 when Hamas-led militants swept into Israeli border communities were recovered by troops in southern Gaza and brought back to Israel, the Israeli military announced Thursday. The bodies of Ravid Katz, 51, Oren Goldin, 33, Maya Goren, 56, Sgt. Kiril Brodski, 19, and Staff Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, 20, had been dragged back into Gaza by militants fleeing after the bloodbath.

All had been declared dead by the Israeli military. The remains were located Wednesday in a tunnel in Khan Younis after Palestinians were ordered to evacuate that section of an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone, authorities said. The military said it had learned the location of the bodies from interrogations of captured militants.

Israeli authorities say they count 111 hostages remaining in Gaza, including the bodies of 39 confirmed dead. More than 250 people were taken hostage in the Oct. 7 attack, which killed almost 1,200 Israelis. Close to 40,000 Palestinians have died in the Israeli military response, the Gaza Health Ministry says.

Israeli Air Force chief says military is 'all in' in case of war with Iran

The first-ever Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's port city of Hodeida last week targeted more than Houthi rebels who control the city, the commander of the Israeli Air Force said Thursday. The attack, which killed six people and wounded 83, came one day after the Iran-backed Houthis' stunning drone attack on Tel Aviv that killed one person. Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, commander of the Israeli Air Force, said his nation's retaliation was a warning shot for the Houthis, for militant Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon and for Iran.

"If a war breaks out in the north (Lebanon) and with Iran, we can handle it," Bar said. "Nine months and we are 'all in.' Not resting for a moment, realizing the righteousness of the path."

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel war updates: Biden, Harris, Trump rip flag-burning protest