The United States told Israel on Wednesday to scale down its war on Hamas in Gaza in the "near future," with President Joe Biden urging it to take more care to save civilian lives in Gaza.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made the call during talks in Tel Aviv with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials on the war Israel launched after the October 7 attacks.

Washington has strongly backed Israel's right to defend itself, but mounting civilian casualties in the Palestinian territory have caused a growing rift between the close allies.

"I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives -- not stop going after Hamas, but be more careful," Biden told reporters after an event at a........

© Al Monitor