Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. President Joe Biden in a call on Thursday that Israel had decided to send a delegation to negotiate the release of hostages with Hamas but would end the conflict in Gaza only after "achieving all its objectives," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

The White House said Biden welcomed Netanyahu's decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out a ceasefire deal together with the release of hostages as he reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel.

(With input from agencies)