WASHINGTON, May 17 (BBC) - US President Joe Biden has voiced his support for a ceasefire after eight days of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.
Mr Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US was working with Egypt and other countries on halting hostilities.
But the US again blocked a UN Security Council statement calling for a cessation of violence.
The conflict is now in its second week, with little sign of ending.
At least 212 people, including 61 children, have died in Gaza, and 10, including two children, in Israel.
Israel says most of those killed in Gaza are militants and that any civilian deaths are unintentional.
But Hamas, the militant group that runs the territory, disputes this.
According to a White House statement, Mr Biden "encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians".
"The two leaders discussed progress in Israel's military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza," it added.
President Biden "expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end", it said.
The violence has prompted increasing concern internationally.
World leaders and humanitarian organisations have called for measures to prevent the deaths of residents and the chaos wrought by the destruction of buildings and infrastructure.
The US has - for the third time - blocked efforts at the UN Security Council to issue a statement calling on Israel to stop its military offensive, stressing instead its own diplomatic efforts.
"Our calculation at this point is that having those conversations behind the scenes ... is the most constructive approach we can take," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said Israel must avoid civilian casualities, but expressed concern that "Hamas is again using civilian infrastructure and populations as cover for its operations".
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for an end to the fighting, while speaking with Mr Netanyahu.
However, she reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself against the attacks, according to her spokesman.
France and Egypt are among the other nations calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The United Nations has also expressed concerns about the damage to infrastructure in the already impoverished Gaza Strip, home to two million people. It said that 40 schools and four hospitals had been "completely or partially destroyed" in recent days. It also warned that fuel supplies there were running out, threatening basic services.
The World Health Organization's emergencies chief, Dr Mike Ryan, said all attacks on healthcare needed to stop immediately.
The outbreak of violence began after weeks of rising Israeli-Palestinian tension in occupied East Jerusalem that culminated in clashes at a holy site revered by both Muslims and Jews. Hamas, which controls Gaza, began firing rockets after warning Israel to withdraw from the site, triggering retaliatory air strikes.
