WASHINGTON: US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Sunday that the United States will increase its “pressure” on Israel and leaders in the Middle East to reach a deal on hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.
In an interview released Sunday, Harris said Washington is working with Israel on humanitarian aid and “the need for a deal to be done which would release the hostages and create a ceasefire,”.
Harris said the US will not stop putting pressure on Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza. “We are not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel and leaders in the region,” Harris told CBS’ “60 Minutes,” according to excerpts from an interview released on Sunday.
The call for a ceasefire comes as Israeli airstrikes in Jabaliya killed at least 17 people on Sunday, including nine children, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. The relentless Israeli bombardment over the past year has devastated large parts of Gaza, causing extensive destruction.
The Israeli military said that its forces had surrounded Jabaliya following intelligence reports suggesting that Hamas was regrouping and rebuilding its capabilities despite ongoing military operations.
“The troops of the 401st Brigade and the 460th Brigade have encircled the area and are currently continuing to operate in the region,” the military stated.
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Support for the ground troops came from airstrikes that targeted “dozens of military objectives,” the Israeli military reported. Mahmud Bassal, the spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence, confirmed that among the 17 casualties were nine children.
Footage from the scene showed bodies in blood-stained white shrouds being carried away for burial, a stark reminder of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Residents reported heavy bombardment, with one local, Jameel al-Habibi, describing the shelling as “random and violent.” He expressed confusion and fear, stating, “We do not know where the shelling is coming from and we do not know where to go.”
Israeli forces have consistently targeted Jabaliya throughout the conflict, resulting in the displacement of most residents. Meanwhile, the military announced it was expanding humanitarian corridors in Al-Mawasi along Gaza’s southern coastline, reopening two evacuation routes to assist those fleeing the violence.
Earlier, an Israeli airstrike on a mosque-turned-shelter in central Deir al-Balah killed 26 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Since the outbreak of conflict on October 7, 2023, the ongoing Israeli bombardment has killed at least 41,870 Palestinians, mostly women and children, based on figures from the health ministry in Gaza, which have been recognized as reliable by the United Nations.
