US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday and urged further action to significantly increase humanitarian assistance in Gaza, the State Department said in a statement.

The US administration warned in a letter dated October 13 that Israel had 30 days to take specific steps to address the horrific humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has been under continuous bombardment for more than a year.

Aid workers and U.N. officials say humanitarian conditions are dire in Gaza, where the war has displaced nearly 2.3 million people and triggered a hunger crisis. It has also led to allegations of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which Israel denies.

The State Department said in a statement, a copy of which was received by Jerusalem, that Blinken "urged (Galant) to take further action to significantly increase and sustain humanitarian assistance - including food, medicine, and other essential supplies - to civilians throughout Gaza."

"The Secretary (Blinken) stressed the importance of ending the war in Gaza and returning all hostages to their homes, as well as charting a path forward in the post-conflict period that allows the Palestinian people in Gaza to rebuild their lives and strengthen governance, security, and reconstruction," the State Department said in a statement.

The US State Department statement quoted Blinken as saying, "Hamas has once again refused to release even a limited number of hostages to secure a ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza."

The American website "Axios" had previously quoted Israeli sources as saying that Egypt had submitted a "mini" proposal for a hostage exchange deal with Hamas, which included a limited ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The website quoted Israeli officials as saying that the new director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, presented the head of the Israeli Shin Bet, Ronan Bar, with an idea for a “mini” deal to exchange hostages and cease fire in Gaza, which could pave the way for negotiations on a broader agreement.