The Biden administration advocates for a humanitarian "pause" in Israel's Gaza war

Concerned that days of intense bombardment and a siege of the Palestinian enclave are worsening the humanitarian crisis and increasing the likelihood of a wider conflict, the Biden administration is pushing for more aid to enter Gaza and signaling Israel to "pause" its military offensive against Hamas militants.

President Joe Biden showed strong support for Israel at a news conference on Wednesday alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. However, he also stated that humanitarian aid into Gaza should "increase," that Israel should "do everything in its power to protect innocent civilians," and that he denounced reports that "extremist" Israeli settlers in the West Bank were targeting Palestinians.

The president made his remarks one day after Secretary of State Anthony Blinken declared in public for the first time that "humanitarian pauses must be considered" in order to allow supplies of food, water, medicine, and other necessities to reach Gaza.

A resolution at the U.N. Security Council advocating for humanitarian pauses was vetoed by the administration just last week, citing the need for more time for diplomacy to work in order to secure aid deliveries.

According to the official, the White House is now in favor of an indefinite "pause" to help those attempting to leave the enclave safely and to enable more aid to reach Gaza.

Administration officials stated that it is unclear exactly how long a pause would last if Israel agreed to one.