Israeli Strikes Hit Khan Younis Amid Push for Cease-Fire 

Israel's military reported raids Tuesday in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, while Palestinian officials said Israeli airstrikes in the same location killed at least 17 people.

The Palestinian officials said the strikes happened near the European Hospital in the Hamad neighborhood.

The Israeli military said it targeted terrorist infrastructure in Hamad, and that it arrested dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters who were hiding among civilians.

The fighting in Gaza went on amid a sustained push to achieve a cease-fire in the conflict, including talks in Egypt.

Israel has stayed away from the Cairo negotiations, and has faulted Hamas for not providing a list of the names of hostages that militants are still holding in Gaza.

A senior Hamas official told reporters Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to blame for a lack of a deal, and that it is in the hands of Israel's ally, the United States, to push for action.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday urged Hamas to accept the terms of the proposed agreement, in which the release of hostages would result in an immediate six-week cease-fire and allow a surge of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza.

Harris hosted talks at the White House with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz where she also condemned the October 7 Hamas terror attack and the taking of hostages, including American citizens.

"Israel has a right to defend itself. Far too many Palestinian civilians - innocent civilians have been killed. We need to get more aid in.

We need to get the hostages out," Harris said before the talks, summarizing the Biden administration's position on the conflict.

Harris and Gantz also discussed Israel's looming military operation in Gaza's southern city of Rafah, where over a million people are sheltering.

She said a viable humanitarian plan has to be implemented there before Israel decides to launch any major offensive against Hamas and expressed fears what such an operation would pose on civilians.

The U.S. has said Israel has signed off on the parameters of the cease-fire, but details have yet to be worked out in Cairo negotiations with Hamas, a U.S. designated terror group.

Israel has vowed to end the threat of another Hamas assault like the October attack that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's counteroffensive since then has killed more than 30,600 people in Gaza, about 70% of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Another 72,000 Palestinians have been wounded.