Biden emphasises need to protect Palestinian civilians, potential 'tactical pauses' in call with Netanyahu

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that it was imperative steps were taken to protect Palestinian civilians, even as he restated his support for Israel's efforts to protect its citizens from Hamas, the White House said.

"The President reiterated his steadfast support for Israel and the protection of Israeli citizens from Hamas and all other threats while also emphasising the imperative to protect Palestinian civilians and reduce civilian harm in the course of military operations," it said in a statement outlining a call between the two leaders.

The two also discussed the potential for "tactical pauses" in fighting in Gaza for humanitarian reasons and possible hostage releases in talks on Monday, according to a spokesperson.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said the US and Israeli governments would continue to be in touch on such potential temporary pauses and that Biden and Netanyahu agreed to continue talks in the coming days.

"You can expect that we're going to continue to advocate for temporary and localised pauses in the fighting," Kirby told reporters. "We consider ourselves at the beginning of this conversation, not at the end of it."

Those conversations came as more Americans are expected to exit Gaza on Monday and as more aid enters the territory, Kirby said. Biden and Netanyahu also discussed the situation in the West Bank.

"We know - gotta get more trucks in. It's still just a trickle," Kirby said. "Gotta get more people out. Still just a trickle."

The White House said that fewer than 30 aid trucks entered Gaza in the last 24 hours.

The White House, which maintains that a general ceasefire would not be an appropriate step, has been pushing for shorter pauses in strikes to accomplish specific humanitarian goals.