While not asking for a ceasefire, Biden stresses need to protect Gazan civilians in 'long conversation' with Netanyahu

U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly discussed a “phasing” of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday.

While Washington supports Israel’s right to self-defense against the terror organization Hamas, the Biden administration has reportedly urged Israel to gradually scale back its military operations by shifting to more pinpointed operations that reduce the number of civilian casualties in the densely populated Gaza Strip. Following the top-level conversation, the White House confirmed that Biden and Netanyahu “discussed Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to include its objectives and phasing.”

The White House stressed the need to protect the civilian population in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

“The president emphasized the critical need to protect the civilian population including those supporting the humanitarian aid operation, and the importance of allowing civilians to move safely away from areas of ongoing fighting,” read the White House statement.

However, Biden confirmed that he did not ask Netanyahu for a ceasefire.

“I didn’t ask for a ceasefire,” Biden stated when the media asked questions about the “lengthy conversation” with Netanyahu, which reportedly lasted about 45 minutes.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) issued a statement noting that Netanyahu “clarified that Israel will continue the war until all of its goals are achieved.”

Israel's three official war goals are the return of all remaining hostages in Gaza, the elimination of Hamas as a military and political force and the demilitarization of Gaza after the war.

The phone conversation between Biden and Netanyahu took place after the United States refrained from vetoing a recent UN Security Council resolution that urged humanitarian aid to Gaza but did not demand a ceasefire.

Earlier in December, Washington vetoed a previous UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire. At the time, U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood criticized the resolution as being “divorced from reality” and hostile toward Israel.

“This Council’s failure to condemn Hamas’ October 7th terrorist attacks – including its acts of sexual violence and other unthinkable evils – is a serious moral failure. And it underscores the fundamental disconnect between the discussions that we have been having in this Chamber and the realities on the ground,” Wood said.

The UN Security Council softened its language in the current resolution by removing calls for an immediate ceasefire that would effectively offer a lifeline to the terror organization Hamas.

Netanyahu reportedly “voiced his appreciation for the US’s position in the Security Council” during the phone call with Biden.

Most of Hamas' remaining terror assets are reportedly concentrated in southern Gaza in the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.

The Israel Defense Forces recently estimated it would potentially take months of lower-intensity fighting to successfully dismantle Hamas’ terror infrastructure in southern Gaza.