President of the United States of America, Joe Biden has called for a ceasefire after days of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.
Biden told Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu that the US was working with Egypt and other countries on halting hostilities.
The conflict which is now in its second week, with little sign of ending has been a major source of concern from the international community.
World leaders and humanitarian organisations have called for measures to prevent the deaths of residents and the chaos wrought by the destruction of buildings and infrastructure.
At least 212 people, including almost 100 women and children, have been killed in Gaza, according to its health ministry. In Israel 10 people, including two children, have been killed, its medical service says.
On Tuesday Israel said at least 150 militants were among those killed in Gaza. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that runs the territory, does not give casualty figures for fighters.
According to a White House statement on Monday, Mr Biden “encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians”.
“The two leaders discussed progress in Israel’s military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza,” it added.
President Biden “expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end”, it said.
The US – which is one of Israel’s strongest allies – has once again blocked efforts at the UN Security Council to issue a statement calling on Israel to stop its military offensive, stressing instead its own diplomatic efforts.
“Our calculation at this point is that having those conversations behind the scenes… is the most constructive approach we can take,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
The UN Security Council is due to hold its fourth emergency meeting on the violence on Tuesday.
Israel conducted an intense aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip hours after US president Joe Biden publicly backed international calls for a ceasefire between the Jewish state and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group.
Sixty Israeli warplanes carried out dozens of air strikes on what the military described as a network of tunnels, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the armed forces to “continue striking”.
Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, retaliated with a volley of rockets into Israeli cities after a six-hour overnight lull.
Witnesses reported that two buildings were targeted early on Tuesday in Gaza City, the heavily populated urban centre of the blockaded territory, as the fighting stretched into a second week.
