President Biden says he expects quick de-escalation of attacks in Gaza, as Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu says he's 'determined' to continue the strikes

President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Wednesday and said he expects a quick de-escalation of military attacks against Palestinian targets in Gaza to make way for a cease-fire. In response to Wednesday’s call, Netanyahu said he’s “determined to continue” the strikes until their “objective is achieved — to bring back the quiet and security” to Israelis. “With every day that passes, we strike more abilities of the terrorist organizations,” Netanyahu said. “We are thwarting more senior commanders, toppling more terrorist towers, striking more arms caches.”

The call came two days after Biden last spoke with Netanyahu. On Monday, the U.S. president said Israel has a right to defend itself but called for a cessation of hostilities, encouraging Israel to make every effort to protect innocent civilians. The White House said, “The two leaders had a detailed discussion on 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 president conveyed to the prime minister that he expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a cease-fire.”

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