Ms Karine Jean-Pierre (Archive photo: AFP/VNA)

Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to send a senior team of military, intelligence and humanitarian officials to Washington for meetings in coming days for comprehensive discussions.

Details were still being worked out, but the meeting would probably occur early next week, she said, adding the White House urged Israel to do more to allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, which a United Nations report on Monday warned faced likely famine in May.