US President Joe Biden on Saturday held his first phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas since taking office, amid heavy fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reports.
Biden has dispatched an envoy to try to quell the violence that has killed dozens in Gaza and at least 10 in Israel, but US, regional and international efforts have yet to show any signs of progress.
Biden "stressed the need for Hamas to cease firing rockets into Israel", and the two men "expressed their shared concern that innocent civilians, including children, have tragically lost their lives amidst the ongoing violence," a summary of the call released by the White House said.
Israel-Hamas tensions remain at a peak for several days and cause international concerns as the situation may be out of control.
On May 11, Hamas launched about 630 missiles to Israel, and 150 out of them exploded in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli anti-rocket system neutralized about 200.
As reported by the Israeli army general staff, military operations will continue until all the radicals’ tunnels are destroyed in the Gaza Strip.
Palestine’s health administration reports that about 139 people were killed due to the attacks on the Gaza Strip. The number of the victims include 39 children and 22 women.
Eight people were killed in Israel, including two minors.
