President Joe Biden on Wednesday said that a "pause" was needed in the Israel-Hamas war.
"I think we need a pause," Biden said in response to a question at a campaign reception in Minnesota. Asked to clarify what a pause meant, he said, "A pause means give time to get the prisoners out. Give time."
The comment came after he was interrupted by a protester calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
More from NBC News:
The Gaza crisis is stoking antisemitism in the U.S.Why the Israel-Hamas war has soared into the top issues for Iowa GOP votersSen. John Fetterman faces a left-wing backlash over his stance on Israel. He isn't budging.
Biden last week said that the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza needed to "increase," after Secretary of State Antony Blinken publicly stated that "humanitarian pauses must be considered" so that food, water, medicine and other essential humanitarian assistance can flow into Gaza.
NBC News reported at the time that according to a U.S. official, the White House supported a "pause" of indeterminate duration to allow for more aid to reach Gaza and to enable those attempting passage out of the enclave to leave safely.
Negotiations to free 239 hostages, including children and the elderly, have continued since Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack killed about 1,400 people in Israel. After Hamas breached Israel's border wall, other groups from Gaza seized additional captives.