US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told Israeli leaders that he is concerned about civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip. He urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to protect Palestinians and to suspend attacks in a "humanitarian pause."

Blinken is on his third visit to Israel since Hamas militants sparked the fighting with a surprise attack last month.

After meeting with Netanyahu, he said, "We've been clear that as Israel conducts its campaign to defeat Hamas, how it does so matters. It matters because it's the right and lawful thing to do."

But Blinken is not seeing the "pause" he had hoped for. Israeli forces continued their attacks on the Gaza Strip from the ground, sea and air. They are also destroying tunnels used by Hamas fighters.

Netanyahu said, "I made it clear we will continue with all our power, and that Israel refuses a temporary ceasefire that doesn't include a return of our hostages."

Hamas militants took hundreds of captives in their attack on October 7. Family members of the kidnapped have taken to the streets to plead for their safe return.

One protester in Tel Aviv said, "We want to give everything that they asked for -- even a ceasefire -- as long as they come back home safely."

Blinken later traveled to Jordan to talk with other partners and to prevent the conflict from spreading throughout the region.

However, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, cast doubt on those efforts. He said in a televised address on Friday that a wider conflict is a "realistic possibility" and that, in battles with Israel, "all options are on the table."