President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, and during their call expressed support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and encouraged Netanyahu “to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians,” the White House said. Over the last week, Israel has been conducting airstrike after airstrike in Gaza, and in return, Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel. This is the worst fighting between the two sides since 2014, and so far, at least 200 Palestinians and eight Israelis have been killed. The Biden administration said it is focusing on “quiet, intensive diplomacy,” but some Democrats, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), are calling on the president to “push harder” on Israel and Hamas to stop the violence. “We can’t continue to see this loss of civilian life,” Schiff said Sunday during an appearance on Face the Nation. “It’s got to come to an end.”
Source:
The Associated Press