![A Palestinian youth pushes a bicycle as he walks past the rubble of houses destroyed during the...](https://www.odt.co.nz/sites/default/files/styles/odt_landscape_extra_large_4_3/public/story/2024/07/2024-07-25t143230z_740290167_rc2es8ad9yw3_rtrmadp_3_israel-palestinians-hamas.jpg?itok=tLPhHRiE)
A Palestinian youth pushes a bicycle as he walks past the rubble of houses destroyed during the Israeli military offensive, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: Reuters
"An immediate ceasefire is needed desperately," the statement said.
"Civilians must be protected, and a sustained increase in the flow of assistance throughout Gaza is needed to address the humanitarian situation."
US Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.