WASHINGTON - Israeli Defense Miniter Yoav Gallant will visit Washington soon for talks with his US counterpart, the Pentagon said Saturday as the war in Gaza rages on.

President Joe Biden's administration is pressing for a ceasefire deal which it says is backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but has drawn fury from some of the Israeli leader's far-right allies.

In a formal response this week the Palestinian militant group Hamas stopped short of accepting the plan, making counter-proposals on several points.

In a call Tuesday with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Gallant accepted an invitation to visit the Pentagon, press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement.

The date of the visit has yet to be determined and the aim of the meeting is to "further discuss ongoing security developments in the Middle East," Ryder said on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. (AFP)