Israel-Gaza updates: IDF says 2 hostages rescued from Gaza

President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Sunday in their first call since Biden delivered his strongest rebuke yet of Israel's military operations in Gaza, with Biden calling the Israeli forces' actions "over the top."

In their Sunday call, Biden told Netanyahu a military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where many Palestinians have fled to for safety, "should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring" civilian safety, the White House said in a statement.

More than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population has sought refuge in Rafah after being displaced from their homes since Israel's military offensive began, according to the United Nations.

When asked about Biden's remark in a Sunday interview with ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl, Netanyahu said, "I don't know exactly what he [Biden] meant by that, but put yourself in Israel's shoes. We were attacked. … I think we've responded in a way that goes after the terrorists and tries to minimize the civilian population."

A senior administration official told reporters that Biden's "over the top" comment was "not specifically addressed" during the two leaders’ call on Sunday. Biden instead reiterated that he wants to see Hamas defeated, though it "must be done while ensuring that operations are … conducted in a way that ensures innocents are protected to the extent possible," the official said.

When pressed on if Israel has indicated whether moving more than 1 million civilians in Rafah out of harm’s way is feasible, the senior official said that Israel has "made clear they would not contemplate an operation without it."

The official added that plans to get enough U.S.-procured flour to feed nearly 1.5 million Gazan residents over six months are "coming along," but that logistical issues need to be worked out.

In Biden’s nearly 45-minute phone call with Netanyahu, the two leaders spent about two-thirds of the conversation discussing the ongoing hostage deal negotiations, the senior official said.

The official said a framework for the hostage deal, which has been "a primary focus" for Biden over the last month, is now in place, though there are gaps that need to be worked through. Later, the official conceded that some of those gaps are "significant," but said progress has been made in the last three weeks.

-ABC News' Fritz Farrow

President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plan to speak Sunday in their first call since Biden delivered his strongest rebuke yet of Israel's military operations in Gaza, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News.

Biden called the Israeli forces' actions "over the top." When asked about Biden's remark in a Sunday interview with ABC's "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl, Netanyahu said, "I don't know exactly what he [Biden] meant by that, but put yourself in Israel's shoes. We were attacked. … I think we've responded in a way that goes after the terrorists and tries to minimize the civilian population.”

-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is defending the Israeli military’s continued bombardment of Gaza, targeting Hamas fighters, after President Joe Biden criticized the campaign as "over the top" given the dire conditions and high death toll in the Palestinian territory.

When asked about Biden's remark in a Sunday interview with ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl, Netanyahu said he appreciated the president's support thus far and laid the blame for civilian casualties on the Hamas terrorist group, which launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

"I don't know exactly what he [Biden] meant by that, but put yourself in Israel's shoes. We were attacked. Unprovoked attack, murderous attack on Oct. 7," Netanyahu said, adding, "I think we've responded in a way that goes after the terrorists and tries to minimize the civilian population in which the terrorists embed themselves and use them as human shields." The Israel Defense Forces has said it is only targeting Hamas and other militants in Gaza and alleges that Hamas deliberately shelters behind civilians, which the group denies.

9:18

Netanyahu: Securing hostages' release and eliminating Hamas 'not mutually exclusive'

ABC News’ Jonathan Karl interviews Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on “This Week.”

ABCNews.com

Karl pressed Netanyahu on the number of deaths, with the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health estimating more than 28,000 killed. Netanyahu acknowledged many civilians had been killed but claimed -- without presenting evidence -- that Israel's military is currently killing more Hamas fighters than civilians.

Click here to read more.

-ABC News' Tal Axelrod

The Israeli Defense Forces said it killed approximately 120 Hamas terrorists and destroyed 20 Hamas infrastructure sites in Shati and Tel al-Hawa in northern Gaza.

The IDF said it found a tunnel shaft near an UNRWA school which led to an underground tunnel which passes under the UNRWA's headquarters in the Gaza Strip. The tunnel was over 2,296 feet long, according to the IDF. The IDF alleged that Hamas militants used the space under the UNRWA's headquarters as an electrical supply room.

The UNWRA said it had no knowledge of the facility's underground, but the "recent media reports" merit an "independent inquiry," which the agency is unable to perform due to the ongoing war.

-ABC News' Edward Szekeres