According to State Department spokesman Matt Miller, Israel will face very difficult questions in the months to come, AFP reports.

“There is a historic opportunity that Israel has to deal with, challenges that it has faced since its founding, and we hope the country will take that opportunity,” he said.

During a trip to the Middle East last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasised to Israeli authorities that Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, were committed to helping reconstruct Gaza and aiding with future Palestinian governance, but only on the condition that Israel clear the path for Palestinian statehood.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden, who have a notoriously complicated relationship, have not participated in direct communication exchanges for several weeks.