President
Joe Biden
and Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
spoke Monday, their first interaction in more than a month, as division grows between allies over the food crisis in
Gaza
and the conduct of the war, according to the White House .
The call comes after Republicans in Washington and Israeli officials rushed to express outrage after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized Netanyahu's handling of the war in Gaza and called for Israel
to hold new elections
.
They accused the Democratic leader of violating
the unwritten rule of not interfering in the electoral politics
of a close ally.
Biden has not endorsed Schumer's election call
, but said he thought he
gave a "good speech"
that reflected the concerns of many Americans.
The White House has been skeptical of Netanyahu's plan to carry out
an operation in the southern city of Rafah
, to which more than a million displaced Palestinians have fled, as Israel seeks to eliminate Hamas following the deadly Hamas attack. on October 7.
Biden administration officials have warned that they would not support such an operation without the Israelis presenting
a credible plan to ensure the safety of innocent Palestinian civilians.
Israel has yet to present such a plan, according to White House officials.
With information from the Associated Press
Developing