(JTA) — In their fourth phone call since fighting in Gaza began 10 days ago, President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to begin winding down the conflict immediately.

“The president conveyed to the prime minister that he expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire,” according to a readout of the call published by the White House.

As the death toll in Gaza has reached 219, pressure is mounting on Israel to conclude its bombing campaign against Hamas and other militant groups that have been firing rockets at Israel.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu seemed to reject the pressure, saying in a statement that the Israeli military would continue fighting until it subdued the threat. He also thanked Biden for supporting Israel’s right to self-defense.

A person briefed on the call between the two leaders told Axios that Biden was “firm” and that he made it clear he’s “done kidding around and Israel needs to finish it.”

Israel could not immediately decide on a ceasefire Wednesday because Netanyahu had chosen not to convene his Security Cabinet.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also stressed the need for de-escalation in calls with his Israeli counterpart, Benny Gantz, according to Axios.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.

This year, we have stood together in strength and sorrow. Our Forward team has worked around the clock to help you find clarity amid the chaos.

If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.

Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism. 

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount