US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Israel's response to Iran's October 1 missile attack in a phone call on Wednesday.

The White House said the two leaders also agreed to remain in close contact over the coming days both directly and through their national security teams.

It said the conversation lasted for about 30 minutes and Vice President Kamala Harris joined the call.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed that the US and Israel are continuing discussions on Israel's response to Iran's attack.

ABC News quoted a US government official as saying Netanyahu did not present a fully finalized vision for a counterattack.

But the official also said that members of the Biden administration "felt the Israeli government was receptive to their arguments for sticking to conventional military targets rather than nuclear or oil production sites."

Israel has been stepping up its offensive against the Iran-backed Shia Muslim group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The White House says that in his call with Netanyahu, Biden emphasized the need to minimize harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut.