Biden warns Netanyahu that US support for war is not guaranteed

US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his government must do more to minimize the harm to civilians in Gaza and protect aid workers if Israel wants Washington's continued support for the war against Hamas, the White House said.

Biden and Netanyahu spoke by phone on Thursday as outrage built over an Israeli airstrike earlier this week that killed seven workers with the international food charity World Central Kitchen in Gaza.

"President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable," said a White House statement.

"He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers."

The White House said Biden warned Netanyahu that "US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps."

Biden also called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the six-month-old war.

They also discussed Iranian threats toward Israel, according to the White House.