US President Joe Biden has been outspoken in his support for Israel while also taking leaders to task for the mounting civilian casualties in Gaza. One of his top officials, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, has traveled to the region to reinforce that stance.

Sullivan sat down for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He urged him to make certain that strikes against Hamas are carried out with precision while avoiding harm to civilians.

After the two-day meeting, Sullivan said on Friday, "Israel has the intent to make sure that it is drawing those distinctions clearly and in a sustainable way. And we want to see the results match up to that."

Sullivan urged Israel to wind down its "high-intensity" combat operations in favor of targeted strikes. However, he declined to publicly discuss any timetables or conditions for the "transition" that would come after.

Sullivan welcomed Israel's decision to open the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza, allowing in 200 aid trucks each day. He called it a "significant step" to facilitate the delivery of supplies to residents who urgently need them.

Sullivan met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Friday. They spoke about future scenarios for Gaza, which could include the return of Palestinian security forces to the strip years after they were driven out by Hamas.