A US security envoy has spoken with Israeli officials about shifting the country's military operations in the Gaza Strip from a broad ground campaign to lower intensity surgical operations against Hamas.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, after he met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The White House issued a statement on the same day. It said, "Mr. Sullivan was briefed in detail on the State of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, including its objectives, phasing, and setting conditions for shifts over time from high intensity clearing operations to lower intensity surgical operations against Hamas remnants."

The US news website Axios quoted US and Israeli officials as saying that Sullivan told the Israeli side that the high intensity military campaign "needs to transition to the next lower intensity phase in a matter of weeks, not months."

Also on Thursday, US President Joe Biden said he wants Israel "to be focused on how to save civilian lives, not stop going after Hamas but be more careful."

Sullivan is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, the West Bank, on Friday. The two are expected to discuss how the Gaza Strip will be governed after the fighting is over.