US President Joe Biden has asked the Israeli Prime Minister to ceasefire amid the deadly conflict with Palestine.
The POTUS made the request on Monday, May 17, during a call with PM Benjamin Netanyahu after the violence at the weekend, including an airstrike that claimed the lives of at least 42 people, The Sun reports.
Per CBS, a statement from the White House detailing a readout of the call said:
"The President reiterated his firm support for Israel's right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks.
"The President welcomed efforts to address intercommunal violence and to bring calm to Jerusalem."
Biden also asked Netanyahu to take action to "ensure the protection of innocent civilians," the statement added.
Additional violence could be prevented by engaging allies including Egypt. On May 17 the second week of conflict between Israel and Hamas began.
The Sun reports that Biden's call with the prime minister became public knowledge after it was revealed that Biden's administration approved the sale of $735 million worth of weapons to Israel shortly before the conflict began.
Around a week before the violence erupted on May 5, Congress was informed of the alleged sale, per Washington Post.
The current crisis is now the worst conflict to hit the area since the 2014 Hamas-Israeli which raged for almost two months.
Per Al Jazeera, a minimum of 192 Palestinians and 10 Israelis have lost their lives over the past week as a result of the conflict. A further 1,300 have been injured.
Fifty-eight of those who lost their lives were children, it has been reported.
Airstrikes were launched in Gaza on Monday by Israeli warplanes during a 20 minute period and they targeted the homes of Hamas leaders as well as tunnels that were being used by the militant group.
Nine residences that reportedly housed Hamas commanders were targeted and more than nine miles of the Hamas' tunnel system were bombed.
Hussam Abu Harbid, the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Northern Division, was allegedly killed in this strike.
According to the Israeli air force, he was the man behind rocket attacks against Israel, and this included the ones which were launched last week.
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