In a conversation with Netanyahu, Biden calls for more humanitarian aid for Gaza.

President Biden has welcomed Israel’s decision to allow some more fuel into Gaza, the White House said, but he stressed in a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that more aid was urgently needed and called for corridors to allow people to move to safer areas can flee. .

Since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel sparked all-out war, Israel has sharply restricted the flow of supplies, including fuel, into Gaza, arguing that they could fall into the hands of Hamas. Under international pressure over the dire humanitarian situation there, Netanyahu’s office said Thursday it would allow “a minimal replenishment of fuel” into the enclave and add a second inspection point for trucks carrying aid.

The White House said in a statement that Mr. Biden had “welcomed Israel’s recent decision to ensure fuel levels will meet necessary needs, but emphasized that much more assistance was urgently needed.”

He also expressed concern about the hostages remaining in Gaza, noting that Hamas had not released a number of young women during a recent ceasefire, a factor that “led to a rupture in the humanitarian pause.” Israel says the number of hostages remaining in Gaza is now estimated at 138.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III also urged increased humanitarian assistance and efforts to protect civilians in a call with his counterpart, Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant, according to a Pentagon statement. He also expressed concern over this week’s cross-border fire between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militia, which resulted in the deaths of a Lebanese Forces soldier and an Israeli citizen.

Palestinians in southern Gaza continue to face catastrophic conditions, with nearly nine weeks of Israeli bombardments forcing almost 1.9 million people to flee their homes, according to aid groups. estimates.

John F. Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, responded Thursday to criticism that the United States was not doing enough to help the Palestinians.

“Name me one nation, any nation, that is doing as much as the United States to alleviate the pain and suffering of the people of Gaza,” said Mr. Kirby. ‘You can’t. You just can’t do that. The United States, through President Biden, is leading efforts to get trucks, food, water, medicine and fuel to the people of Gaza.”