President Joe Biden urged the Israeli Prime Minister on Sunday to not launch a ground offensive against the southern Gaza city of Rafah and also discussed stalled negotiations for a ceasefire tied to the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The White House summarized the call and said that Biden "reiterated his clear position" regarding Rafah during a phone conversation with Netanyahu.
During a call last month, Biden warned Netanyahu that "a major ground operation there would be a mistake," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the time.
Sunday's call came a day before Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to meet in Saudi Arabia with Egyptian and Qatari officials serving as intermediaries in talks with Hamas.
According to the State Department, Blinken will also make stops in Jordan and Israel.
On Saturday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said a breakthrough regarding the 133 hostages believed to be held by Hamas could prevent an invasion of Rafah, saying, "If there is a deal, we will suspend the operation."
Israel has reportedly told Egypt it would give Hamas "one last chance" to reach an agreement for the release of hostages in exchange for a ceasefire.
