As Israel continues to pound the Gaza Strip and President Obama prepares to visit the region, the White House has weighed in on the conflict for the first time, the AP reports.
In a statement, press secretary Josh Earnest said the US is "deeply concerned" by what he sees as a "high level of violence" and called for an end to it.
He said the US is also "concerned" about the possibility of a Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip.
He said the US is also "deeply concerned" by reports of a buildup of Israeli troops along the Gaza border.
The statement came as the UN Security Council was set to hold an emergency meeting on the Gaza conflict, the New York Times reports.
The Times notes that the meeting comes as the US and other Western powers are trying to broker a "long-sought-after" peace between Israel and Palestine.
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