On Friday, Washington sent a diplomatic delegation to Tel Aviv to install the truce, and sources revealed that President Joe Biden's administration is pressing the Israelis firmly, and that it is optimistic about a near solution, while Pakistan and South Africa condemned the Israeli attacks.
The US State Department announced that Assistant Secretary of State Hadi Amr arrived at the head of a delegation to Tel Aviv, and that he held meetings with senior Israeli officials, adding, "We are in intensive contacts with senior Israeli officials, the Palestinian leadership and other partners."
Sources at the US Embassy in Israel reported that Amr and his team would work to install a sustainable lull between the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
CNN revealed that Biden administration officials were more assertive with their Israeli counterparts behind the scenes than their stated stance.
The network quoted well-informed officials that the Biden administration strongly urged the Israelis to stop the process of expelling Palestinians from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
She added that Biden is optimistic about the end of the crisis, and that his optimism stems from talks he had with allies in the region, including Egypt and Qatar.
CNN indicated that the US role in the ongoing de-escalation efforts is limited despite the intense US contacts due to the fact that Washington does not deal with Hamas.
For her part, White House spokeswoman Jane Saki said in a press conference that the loss of life - whether on the Palestinian or Israeli side - is tragic and horrific.
Saki added that the US administration is focusing on de-escalation, and that this is the focus of every conversation the administration has with leaders in the region, and with whom they can have an influence on Hamas.
She emphasized that East Jerusalem was an issue that was and will remain on the table for discussion between the two parties and in the negotiations on the path forward, adding, "We will continue to involve the Palestinians, Israelis and regional partners in working for a sustainable lull."
The White House considered that "Palestinians and Israelis alike deserve to live in dignity and safety," and that the humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people will not change as a result of what is happening now.
Earlier, an informed source confirmed to the German News Agency that the Egyptian security delegation that met with Israeli officials Thursday did not reach positive results to stop the Israeli escalation in exchange for stopping the firing of rockets from Gaza and declaring a truce, even if it was temporary.
The source said that Israel had rejected all initiatives and mediations, stressing that it was determined to carry out an expanded military operation in Gaza, to destroy the military capabilities of the Palestinian resistance, and then agreed to negotiate.
International positions
On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned during a meeting of the Russian Security Council that the current escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict poses a direct threat to his country's security interests.
And Russian media reported that Moscow had conducted a series of contacts in recent days in an effort to calm the situation in the region.
For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where Macron "strongly" condemned the missile strikes by Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.
An Elysee statement clarified that Macron continues his contacts with all parties to put an end to the escalation, and that he assured Netanyahu of his firm commitment to Israel's security and its right to self-defense.
The French President also stressed the need to accelerate the return of peace, and expressed his concern about civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The Elysee statement confirmed that France will play its full role in the meeting of the UN Security Council, which will be held next Sunday.
In turn, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called in a tweet on her Twitter account for an immediate end to violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip, and condemned what she described as the indiscriminate attacks launched by Hamas on Israel.
The European Commission President also expressed her concern about the situation in Israel and Gaza, and called for the protection of civilians on both sides.
In the context, the South African government expressed, in a statement, its "strong" condemnation of the Israeli attacks that "violate international law," adding, "We urge Israel to end its barbaric attacks."
Macron (right) and Netanyahu during a meeting in 2017 (Reuters)
Islamic and Arab positions
On the other hand, the Tunisian presidency said in a statement, "We are conducting consultations, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, to put an end to the escalation in Gaza and cause more victims."
The statement added that Tunisia continues to make broad moves in the Security Council to stop the attacks on the Palestinian people.
Tunisian Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi called for urgent international intervention to stop the Israeli attacks, during a phone call he made with the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, and the head of the movement abroad, Khaled Meshaal.
"The bombing of civilians and the displacement of the population is a war crime in international law," Ghannouchi affirmed, affirming the Tunisian parliament's commitment to support the Palestinian cause in international forums.
The Sheikh of Al-Azhar in Egypt also issued a statement saying, "I call on the peoples of the world and their leaders to support the Palestinian people, stop their killing, and stop double standards."
In Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi discussed with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan the situation in Palestine, where Qureshi expressed his country's strong condemnation of what happened in Al-Aqsa and the continuing aggression on Gaza.
Qureshi added that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share the same vision with regard to the Palestinian issue, and Qureshi also welcomed the Saudi initiative to hold an emergency meeting of the directors of the executive committees in the OIC foreign ministries regarding Palestine on Sunday.