Biden 'watching closely' escalations in Jerusalem
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said US President Joe Biden is being updated frequently about recent events taking place in Jerusalem and Gaza, noting "serious concerns about the situation".
"On a call over the weekend with his Israeli counterpart, our National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated concerns about the potential evictions of Palestinian families from their homes, and they agreed that the launching of rocket attacks and incendiary balloons from Gaza towards Israel is unacceptable, and must be condemned," Psaki said during a news conference on Monday.
"So this is something that our national security team is closely monitoring, obviously across government," she continued. "Certainly the president is kept abreast and is watching closely as well."
Earlier on Monday it was reported that Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat has told Sullivan, his US counterpart, to stay out of the Jerusalem crisis.
In a readout of the call, the US national security adviser stressed Washington's "commitment to Israel’s security and to supporting peace and stability throughout the Middle East" and that it would be engaged to promote calm in Jerusalem.