The White House reported on Wednesday that a new conversation took place between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also said that Washington "will work to maintain a military presence in the Middle East region." He stated that "13 countries joined the coalition for the Red Sea operation."

He said that Washington “believes that the Israeli army is capable of undermining Hamas’ ability to launch attacks inside Israel.” However, he stated that "Hamas still has great capabilities in the Gaza Strip."

He added: "We do not believe that the military attack will eliminate Hamas' ideology, and we accept the idea that Hamas will continue to exist."

He added, "We have no details about Iran's bombings today." He continued: "We do not want the war between Israel and Hamas to expand in the region, but we will work to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea."

Kirby said, “Hamas members are organized as military forces and not just a militia with military capabilities and structure,” as he described it.

He stated that "talks to release hostages from Gaza are ongoing and serious."

Before Kirby's statements, the US State Department said, "We were not informed in advance about the attack that occurred south of Beirut, and we do not have information confirming Israel's involvement in it."

It added, "Gaza cannot be a launching pad for attacks against Israel."

It said, "What we want to see at the end of this conflict is to see Gaza and the West Bank under one leadership."

It stated that "Israel has the full right to combat terrorism, but we urge them to abide by international law," noting that "the aid, food and medicine reaching the Palestinians now is insufficient and must be increased."

The US State Department stated that “there should be no forced displacement of the residents of Gaza,” adding: “We were told that the statements of Israeli ministers regarding forced displacement do not represent government policy, and we affirm our rejection of any forced displacement.”

The United States and 11 allied countries urged the Houthis, on Wednesday, to "immediately stop their illegal attacks" on ships in the Red Sea, under penalty of "bearing the consequences," while a report indicated that Washington had prepared options to strike the Houthis.

This coalition of countries said in a statement, "The Houthis must bear responsibility for the consequences if they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and the freedom of movement of goods in the region's essential waterways."