Despite being prodded by U.S. President Joe Biden to deescalate tensions in the Gaza conflict, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening signaled no end to fighting just yet.
Netanyahu thanked Biden for his support of Israel's right to self-defense and said he was "determined to continue the campaign until it achieves its goal of bringing back peace and security to the citizens of Israel."
The country's Cabinet was not slated to meet on Wednesday which ruled out the immediate possibility of calm.
Earlier on Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that "the two leaders had a detailed discussion on the state of events in Gaza, Israel's progress in degrading the capabilities of Hamas and other terrorist elements, and ongoing diplomatic efforts by regional governments and the United States."
"The president conveyed to the prime minister that he expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire," Jean-Pierre added.
It was the fourth call in the past week between the U.S. and Israeli leaders.
Biden's appeal comes after 10 days of heavy fighting between Israel and Palestinian terror groups in Gaza
and as international pressure began to mount on Israel to go into an immediate ceasefire.
A French government spokesman said "very intense discussions" are underway with the United States about a United Nations Security Council resolution that has been proposed by France in coordination with Egypt and Jordan.
The proposed resolution aims at ending hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
The United States has blocked the UN's most powerful body from issuing a press statement calling for a halt to the violence, insisting that it would not help diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
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French President Emmanuel Macron with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi
(Photo: Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi held talks in Paris earlier this week on the issue and they had a meeting on Tuesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II via video conference.
In a joint statement, France, Egypt and Jordan said they "called on the parties to immediately agree on a ceasefire."
They also said they will work with the UN and other partners to ensure humanitarian help for the population of Gaza.