US President Joe Biden told Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a cease-fire with Hamas as the White House’s frustrations over the continuation of the war in Gaza grow.  

The two leaders, whose relationship has been strained by the conflict, spoke Thursday. While Biden pledged to support Israel against renewed threats from Iran and allied militias such as Hezbollah, he said he was “very direct” with Netanyahu, with the regional fallout from the war, now almost 10 months’ old, worsening.

“We have the basis for a cease-fire,” Biden told reporters. “He should move on it and they should move on it now.”

He said the assassination in Iran this week of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas and a key negotiator for the group, had “not helped.”

Iran and Hamas blamed Israel for the killing. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it was responsible. Privately, its officials have not pushed back against the claim.

The truce negotiations, mediated by Qatar, the US and Egypt, have dragged for months. The two sides are working on a plan Biden outlined in May, which would see fighting initially stop for six weeks, with some hostages released as well as Palestinians in Israeli jails. The second and third stages would lead to more captives being freed and potentially a permanent end to the war.

There are still obstacles to overcome. One of the main problems is that Israel won’t agree to any truce it thinks will restrict its ability to restart the war and destroy Hamas.