US President Joe Biden held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a day after tens of thousands of Americans protested outside the US Capitol against the Israeli leader's visit to the US capital amid the Gaza war.

US Vice President Kamala Harris, the potential Democratic candidate to challenge former President and Republican Party candidate Donald Trump on November 5, also met with Netanyahu later on Thursday.

“We have a lot to talk about,” Biden said as he welcomed Netanyahu to the Oval Office. Netanyahu responded by saying, “I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the State of Israel.”

According to the White House, US President Joe Biden stressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza "soon," acknowledging that there are still gaps in the ceasefire talks that the administration believes can be bridged and that could happen soon.

Biden stressed, "We are closer than ever to reaching an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages."

The White House said there was a significant increase in humanitarian aid reaching the Gaza Strip, which is suffering from a humanitarian disaster after about 10 months of war that broke out after the Hamas attack on October 7.

As talks between Biden and Netanyahu continue, White House National Security Adviser John Kirby expressed his belief that an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza is close, noting that Biden will discuss with Netanyahu how to bridge the gaps in order to reach a ceasefire agreement.

The meetings come after the Israeli prime minister offered a fiery defense of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians and created a humanitarian catastrophe, in a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday.

Several US lawmakers boycotted the speech and tens of thousands of protesters gathered at the US Capitol to call on Washington to cut US military aid to Israel, with more demonstrators also gathering outside the White House on Thursday.

The Biden administration has continued to provide steadfast support for Israel amid the conflict in Gaza, authorizing billions of dollars in military aid and providing Israel with key diplomatic support.

At a meeting on Thursday at the White House, the US president is expected to push Netanyahu to finalize a three-stage ceasefire agreement with Hamas that Biden first presented in May.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Netanyahu said he looked forward to working with Biden, who dropped out of the 2024 presidential race on Sunday, during the remainder of his term.

"I look forward to that, too," Biden replied.

Before the meeting, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he believed a Gaza truce was close. "We believe the gaps can be narrowed," Kirby said in a video statement.

"We believe it is absolutely urgent that these hostages be returned home to their families where they belong, and that a ceasefire be reached, so that we can work to stop the hostilities there in Gaza," he added.

While Harris has been relatively more outspoken than other members of the administration about the humanitarian toll in Gaza, the State Department spokesman noted the consistent and consistent positions of both the State Department and the White House "on the urgent need for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the delivery of aid into Gaza.

Experts believe that Biden - who is no longer seeking re-election - will take a tougher stance than he has in the past months since the war on Gaza began.

Netanyahu pointed to the normalization agreements known as the Abraham Accords brokered by Trump, which saw Israel establish relations with several Arab states, as well as Trump's decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognize Israel's claim to the Syrian-occupied Golan Heights.

Netanyahu will meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Friday.

Netanyahu is expected to try to mend relations with the former president, who previously condemned Netanyahu for accepting Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Trump said it was "very nice" that Netanyahu referred to him during his speech.

However, he said Israel needed to move faster to end the war in Gaza, if only to repair its "public relations."