Biden to speak to Netanyahu amid Middle East tensions

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US President Joe Biden
File photo: US President Joe Biden (right) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 25, 2024. Image Credit: AFP

Washington: US President Joe Biden will speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday amid efforts to avoid “escalation” in the Middle East after the assassination of a top Hamas leader in Iran, the White House said.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed the two leaders were set to speak. He declined to say what they would discuss but said Washington was “engaging in intensive efforts” to avoid a wider conflict.