US Vice President Kamala Harris said she will not change US President Joe Biden's policy towards Israel, in her latest rejection of calls from the progressive base in the Democratic Party to limit or end US arms shipments to Israel.

Harris addressed the issue during a CNN interview with her running mate Tim Walz — her first since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee last week.

CNN highlighted calls by progressives to block arms shipments to Israel, and asked Harris if she would take a different approach to the war between Israel and Hamas than Biden did. Interviewer Dana Bash did not mention that Biden did, in fact, withhold heavy bombs, though some of them were eventually released and all other shipments continued.

Harris responded by repeating remarks she made in her speech at the Democratic National Convention last week.

"I am unequivocal in my position and unwavering in my commitment to Israel's defense and its ability to defend itself, and that will not change," Harris said.

“But let’s take a step back,” she added. “On October 7, 1,200 people were killed, many of them young people attending a music festival. Women were horribly raped, and as I said then, I say today: Israel has the right to defend itself. And we will.”

The Vice President stressed her belief in the urgent need for a ceasefire and a hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Indirect negotiations continued in Doha this week, although the two sides remained at odds over the withdrawal of Israeli forces from two key corridors: the Philadelphi corridor between Egypt and Gaza, and Netzarim, which divides the northern and southern halves of the Strip.

Harris noted that she had met with the families of the eight American hostages, "This war has to end, and we have to get a deal on getting the hostages out." "Let's get a ceasefire done."

Asked again if she would change the current policy on arms shipments, Harris replied, "No," before quickly continuing her view on the need for a hostage deal.

“When you look at the importance of this to families, to people who live in that area — not only is this the right thing to do to end this war, it will open up so much of what needs to happen next,” the vice president added, without straying from her message.

It is noteworthy that the CNN interview with the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, came amid a devastating escalation in the Israeli war of extermination on the Gaza Strip, and a violent storming by the Israeli occupation army of the cities and camps of the occupied West Bank, where the Israeli occupation authorities assassinated more than 18 Palestinian youths in the past four days.

The occupation authorities announced on Friday that they had assassinated the leader of the Hamas movement in the city of Jenin in the West Bank, during the Israeli military operations in various areas of the West Bank, which have been ongoing since Wednesday.

The occupation army statement said, "In the last few hours, the forces spotted a cell of militants led by the leader of the Hamas network in Jenin. After the spotting, undercover Border Guards, under the direction of the Shin Bet, killed Wissam Khazem, the leader of the Hamas network in Jenin."

The Israeli army accuses Khazem of involvement in "carrying out and directing shooting operations and detonating explosive devices."

The statement added that an air force plane "eliminated two gunmen who tried to escape from the car they were riding in with Khazem. They were Maysara Masharqa and Arafat Amer, Hamas activists in Jenin. They worked under the command of Wissam Khazem and were involved in shooting operations towards Israeli settlements in the seam zone."