Image by Getty Images

U.S. President Barack Obama told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that he has serious concerns about the rising number of casualties from clashes between Israel and the Palestinians.

Obama spoke by telephone to Netanyahu for the second time in three days. He told him Israel has the right to defend itself and he reiterated U.S. condemnation of attacks by Hamas against Israel.

“The president also raised serious concern about the growing number of casualties, including increasing Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza and the loss of Israeli soldiers,” the White House said in a statement describing the conversation.

Forwarding the News

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

Terms(Required)

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

Email(Required)

More than 60 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers were killed as Israel shelled a Gaza neighborhood and battled militants on Sunday in the bloodiest fighting in a nearly 2-week-old offensive.

Obama told Netanyahu that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Cairo soon to seek an immediate cessation of hostilities based on a return to a November 2012 ceasefire agreement.

“The president underscored that the United States will work closely with Israel and regional partners on implementing an immediate ceasefire, and stressed the need to protect civilians – in Gaza and in Israel,” the statement said.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

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

$90 $180

$360

Other amount