Netanyahu and Biden spoke about the "possibility of tactical pauses," according to the White House

According to the White House, US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone on Monday about hostages, humanitarian aid, and "the possibility of tactical pauses."

According to the White House readout, Biden "reiterated his steadfast support for Israel and the protection of Israeli citizens from Hamas and all other threats while also emphasizing the imperative to protect Palestinian civilians and reduce civilian harm in the course of military operations."

Because it believes Israel has the right to self-defense, the US has supported Israel's campaign throughout the conflict. It vetoed a resolution on October 18 from the UN Security Council calling for humanitarian pauses to allow aid into Gaza; however, Biden stated last week that he was in favor of a humanitarian pause to enable the release of additional hostages detained in Gaza.