U.S. President Joe Biden held the first phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in almost two months, as Israel seeks to expand the scope of its violent attacks in the region.
Vice President Kamala Harris joined the call, according to the White House.
Biden and Netanyahu agreed to stay in "close contact" in the coming days, the White House said Wednesday, after the two leaders discussed Israel's response to an Iranian missile strike.
In a call with Netanyahu, Biden also stressed the "need to minimize harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut" as Israel pursues its invasion attempt in Lebanon.
On Gaza, the leaders discussed "the urgent need to renew diplomacy to release the hostages held by Hamas," the White House said.
Biden also discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the imperative to restore access to the north, including by reinvigorating the corridor from Jordan immediately, according to the White House.
Netanyahu's office, meantime, confirmed that the prime minister had recently spoken with former President Donald Trump. The Republican, who is in the midst of a close White House race against Harris, called Netanyahu last week and "congratulated him on the intense and determined operations that Israel carried out against Hezbollah,” according to Netanyahu's office.
"World leaders want to speak and meet with President Trump because they know he will soon be returning to the White House and will restore peace around the globe,” Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt in a statement about that call, which a Trump ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., joined.
Israel has been discussing how to respond to the Iranian missile barrage from Oct. 1, which Tehran launched in response to Israel's attacks and provocations. Biden last week said he would not support a retaliatory Israeli strike on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear program.
Israel’s other choices range from a largely symbolic strike - similar to how Israel responded after Iran launched missiles and attack drones in April - to hitting oil facilities and other infrastructure.
Since the leaders' last call, Israel has carried out a brazen sabotage and assassination campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, where the group has continued to fire missiles, rockets and drones at Israel, in response to its genocidal attacks on Gaza, which killed at least 42,000 Palestinians.
Israel is now trying to invade Lebanon, what it has described as "limited ground operations" across its northern border with Lebanon. Airstrikes killed the Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and decimated its leadership.
Last month, thousands of explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah detonated, killing dozens of people and maiming thousands, including many civilians. Israel is widely believed to be behind the attack.
The U.S. has maintained a stepped-up troop presence in the region, to defend Israeli and American interests in the Middle East. Washington has grown increasingly vocal with Israeli officials about the need to be kept in the loop on their decision-making to ensure the protection of U.S. forces.
Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, had been scheduled to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday, but the Israelis postponed the visit, according to Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh.
The Biden-Netanyahu call took place one day after disclosures from journalist Bob Woodward's new book, "War" that Biden has privately made his frustration and distrust of the Israeli leader known.
The president privately unleashed a profanity-laden tirade, calling him a "son of a b***” and a "bad f***** guy,” according to the book.
Biden said he felt, in Woodward’s accounting, that Netanyahu "had been lying to him regularly.” With Netanyahu "continuing to say he was going to kill every last member of Hamas.” Woodward wrote, "Biden had told him that was impossible, threatening both privately and publicly to withhold offensive U.S. weapons shipment.”
