Axios monitored the development of the US position towards the military escalation in Gaza, citing American and Israeli sources, dividing the developments into 4 stages that coincided with developments on the ground.

In an article titled "11 days, 8 calls and a ceasefire," the site divided the evolution of the positions of the US President Joe Biden's administration, from ignoring warnings of a possible worsening of the situation and a military clash, to putting pressure on Israel to stop the escalation,

According to the American website, before the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was reached, President Biden held 6 phone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, and another contact with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The following is a summary of the most important developments in the US position:

The first stage: before the start of operations

Axios reported that White House officials and experts warned that the Palestinian parliamentary elections would be postponed, along with protests against the imminent expulsion of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

It could herald a new crisis.

He added that the White House did not take the warnings seriously, and that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was not a priority at first.

With the escalation of tension, the Biden administration had 3 immediate demands, namely, to halt evacuations in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, reduce tensions on the Temple Mount, and cancel the annual Flag Parade during Jerusalem Day during which Israelis celebrate the unification of Jerusalem under their control in the 1967 war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu complied with the requests of the US administration on the tenth of May, and asked the Supreme Court to postpone its ruling on the evictions, ban Jewish visits to the Holy Mosque, and change the route of the flag procession so that it does not pass through the Islamic Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The second stage: After Hamas bombed Jerusalem

The Axios website says that the start of the Palestinian resistance's bombing of Jerusalem prompted Netanyahu's aides to call the White House and tell Washington that the game has changed, and that Israel will launch a military operation in Gaza.

Here Biden told his senior advisers that the United States would deal with the crisis through intense, but quiet, diplomacy with Israel and Egypt.

The website added that Biden pursued a dual strategy, based on publicly supporting Israel, while Netanyahu secretly urges to end the operation as soon as possible, and to reduce civilian casualties.

Biden also told his team that the United States would not publicly call for a ceasefire, or deal with the issue in the Security Council.

A tower housing the offices of Al Jazeera Network and The Associated Press (Reuters) blew up

The third stage: the turning point

According to Axios, despite the increasing international condemnation and the number of civilian deaths in Gaza in the early days of the operation, Biden's message focused on US support for Israel, but after Israel bombed a building in Gaza housing the offices of the Al Jazeera network, the Associated Press and other media, Biden demanded Netanyahu to focus on de-escalation.

Meanwhile, Biden urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to send Palestinian security forces to act as a buffer between Israeli soldiers and protesters in the West Bank, and Abbas committed to that, according to the site.

After that, Egypt reached a secret understanding with Hamas, for a ceasefire in Tel Aviv, and the unspoken calm lasted for 18 hours.

Fourth stage: pushing for a ceasefire

The Axios website says that at this stage the US president has become more assertive. In the fourth call with Netanyahu, he told him, "I know that the Israeli army has achieved its basic objectives, and I warn that the continuation of the fighting may get things out of control."

The website quoted a source familiar with the call that Biden told Netanyahu, "You cannot control events. The Egyptians have a good suggestion, and I think the time has come to end the process."

In the end, Axios quoted US officials as saying that President Biden used his political capital and reputation as a friend of Israel, in order to avoid a public confrontation with Netanyahu and to help broker a ceasefire.