Biden expects ‘significant de-escalation today on path to ceasefire’ on call to Netanyahu

White House continues ‘quiet, intensive’ diplomatic efforts

On a call with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, president Joe Biden “conveyed to the prime minister that he expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire” as Israeli military strikes on Gaza continued for the tenth day.

The call was Mr Biden’s fourth with the Israeli PM in the last week.

Asked why the president appeared to give Mr Netanyahu a Wednesday deadline, and whether there was any recourse to meet it, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters to “let the readout [of the call] speak for itself”.

She stressed that the president’s strategy has been to pursue talks with Middle East officials “quietly, intensively in a diplomatic way”.

The White House reported that the two leaders also discussed “the state of events in Gaza, Israel’s progress in degrading the capabilities of Hamas and other terrorist elements, and ongoing diplomatic efforts by regional governments and the United States”.

The latest posture follows growing calls across the US and among Democratic lawmakers urging that the president pressure Israel to commit to a ceasefire and end the forced removal of Palestinian families in Jerusalem.

It also follows his Tuesday visit to Dearborn, Michigan, where he was met by thousands of residents who joined three protests across the city – which has a large Arab American population – to demonstrate against Israel’s actions.

Democrat US representative Rashida Tlaib also confronted the president after he landed in Michigan, calling on him to do more to support Palestinian human rights and echoing her statements on the house floor and on social media in recent days as violence has persisted.

Israeli military strikes have killed at least 219 Palestinians, including dozens of children, according to the Gaza health ministry, and have destroyed homes, medical facilities and other buildings across the region, as the humanitarian crisis deepens for millions of its residents.

Rocket fire from Hamas militants has killed at least 12 people in Israel.

Mr Biden and State Department officials have held dozens of calls with foreign leaders within the last week, though the US had initially blocked a joint statement from the United Nations Security Council urging a ceasefire earlier this week.

France is currently leading international efforts to issue a resolution, following talks with Egypt and Jordan.