WASHINGTON: US Vice-President Kamala Harris has said that Washington has "absolutely no intention" to send combat troops to Israel or Gaza.

Israel has a right to defend itself but that Palestinians deserve "equal measures of safety and security", Harris said during an interview with CBS.

Stressing on the importance to differentiate between Hamas and Palestinians, she said: "A terrorist organisation, Hamas, slaughtered hundreds of young people at a concert. By most estimates, at least 1,400 Israelis are dead. Israel, without any question, has a right to defend itself.

"Palestinians deserve equal measures of safety and security, and there should be no conflation between Hamas and Palestine," CNN reported.

However, the rules of the war must be adhered to, Harris asserted.

On Sunday, US President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the flow of aid into Gaza and importance of protecting civilian lives.