The White House has said that US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today in their first call in more than a month amid growing tensions over Israel’s offensive in Gaza, AFP reports.

The pair last spoke on February 15, and Biden has been increasingly vocal in his criticisms of the Palestinian death toll and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza as Israel responds to Hamas’s October 7 attacks.

“President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to discuss the latest developments in Israel and Gaza, including the situation in Rafah and efforts to surge humanitarian assistance to Gaza,” the White House said in a statement.

It said it would release more details about the call later.