Earlier on Monday, the White House issued a statement following that Monday call, saying that “the two leaders discussed the possibility of introducing tactical pauses to allow civilians to safely leave combat areas, ensure the delivery of aid to communities in need and the release of hostages.
US Vice President Kamala Harris also stressed on Tuesday “the importance of protecting the lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip and respecting international humanitarian law” in a conversation with Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog.
Earlier Tuesday, Axios wrote, citing two US and Israeli officials, that Biden, in a phone conversation with Netanyahu on Monday, expressed the need for a three-day pause in hostilities to free the hostages.
According to Axios, under a proposal being discussed between the United States, Israel and Qatar, Hamas (designated a terrorist organization by the United States) would release between 10 and 15 hostages and use the pause to verify the identities of all the hostages and provide a list of the names of those he owns.
Israel said on Tuesday its troops were fighting inside besieged Gaza City as they tried to eliminate Hamas militants in the Palestinian enclave. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at a news conference that Israeli soldiers had advanced into central Gaza and were “tightening the noose.”
Israeli authorities gave Gazans time from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to travel to the southern 45 kilometers (28 miles) of the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip’s Interior Ministry said 900,000 Palestinians were still taking refuge in northern Gaza, including Gaza City.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its humanitarian convoy was attacked on Tuesday in Gaza City. After detouring, the convoy delivered medical supplies to Al Shifa Hospital. The organization called the incident “deeply worrying” and said two trucks were damaged and the driver suffered minor injuries.
The organization did not mention the origin of the bombing.