WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and administration officials have encouraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to wind down their bombardment of Gaza.
That's according to a person with knowledge of the discussions who spoke to the Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks.
Disclosure of the stepped-up White House efforts comes as the Israeli and Palestinian death tolls mount and pressure grows on Biden to move more forcefully to stop the fighting.
The official says top Biden administration officials underscored to the Israelis that time is not on their side in terms of international objections to nine days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rockets.
According to the Associated Press, at least 213 Palestinians and 12 people in Israel have been killed.