By Lauren Egan - NBC News
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday afternoon as the deadly conflict between Israel and the Hamas group entered its second week with no signs of a close resolution.
The White House said Biden "voiced support for a ceasefire and discussed America's commitment to Egypt and other partners, based on that end."
"The president reiterated his strong support for Israel's right to defend itself from indiscriminate rocket attacks.
The president welcomed efforts to address the violence
between the two sides and bring calm to Jerusalem. He encouraged Israel to do everything possible to guarantee the protection of innocent civilians, "added the White House.
The call, the second Biden has had with the Israeli prime minister in the past three days, comes as the president faces mounting political pressure from Democrats in Congress to take a tougher approach on Israel, and as the The international community is increasingly outraged at the treatment of the Palestinian people.
[The Israeli Army launches its deadliest attack in the last week, killing dozens of people in Gaza]
Earlier Monday, neither Biden nor White House press secretary Jen Psaki responded directly to whether or not the White House would call for a ceasefire in the region.
"Our approach is through silent and intensive diplomacy," Psaki told reporters.
"This is how we think we can be more effective."
"I had no idea where to run": this Mexican tells how he lives the conflict in Israel
May 17, 202103: 38
The Gaza Health Ministry put the death toll at 197 in the densely populated enclave of 2 million Palestinians.
That number includes 58 children and 34 women in the attacks in the last week.
Ten other people died in Israel, including two children, Israeli authorities said.
The current escalation of violence is the strongest the region has suffered since 2014, when more than 2,000 people died.
More than 25 Democratic senators wrote a letter Sunday calling for an immediate ceasefire in the region.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and a staunch supporter of Israel, issued a statement Saturday criticizing the Israeli military attack on the building that housed media outlets including The Associated Press, BBC, Al Jazeera and others.
Netanyahu has defended the attack, claiming that Hamas has also carried out operations outside that building, but has not provided any evidence for that claim.
Biden
spoke separately on Saturday with Netanyahu and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
In that conversation with Netanyahu, Biden "reaffirmed his strong support for Israel's right to defend itself from rocket attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza," according to a reading of the White House call. On the other hand, the president expressed to Abbas "his support for measures to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy the dignity, security, freedom and economic opportunities they deserve."