Vice President Kamala Harris today met with Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The Leaders discussed the latest developments in Gaza and their shared commitment to foster the continued and scale-up of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians. The Vice President reiterated the importance of protecting civilian lives and respecting international humanitarian law as Israel protects its people and combats terrorism following Hamas’s horrific terrorist attack on October 7. The Vice President made it clear that it is important to ensure that Palestinians are not forced to leave the country. The Gaza President stressed that Israelis and Palestinians must enjoy equal security, prosperity and freedom. The Vice President also discussed steps taken to strengthen the United States’ posture in the Middle East region to strengthen regional deterrence efforts. The Vice President reaffirmed the close and enduring bilateral relationship between the United States and Bahrain and announced the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Initiative, an important framework for strengthening cooperation in the defense, intelligence, technology, and military fields. They discussed the continued implementation of the C-SIPA. Bilateral trade. They agreed to maintain close contact both directly and through the team.