President Biden stated on Sunday that he planned to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly, just before the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Lebanon.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out an airstrike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Sunday evening, marking the first time the Israeli military targeted the city’s central area during the year-long war between Israel and Hamas.

Speaking from Dover Air Force Base earlier that afternoon, Biden confirmed to reporters his intention to talk with Netanyahu. This conversation occurred hours before the airstrike began.

“Yes, I will be talking to him,” the Democrat said. “And I’ll tell you what I say to him when I talk to him.”

When asked about preventing an “all-out war” in the Middle East, Biden said the U.S. has “to avoid it.”

“We really have to avoid it,” Biden said. “We have already taken precautions relative to our embassies and personnel who want to leave.”

“And, but, we’re not there yet, but we’re working like hell with the French and many others to avoid [more] war.”

The Associated Press first reported the airstrike on Sunday evening, citing witnesses in The airstrike occurred on the same weekend that the IDF systematically targeted Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist group that supports Hamas.

The IDF had only targeted south Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, before Sunday’s strikes. Dozens of people in Lebanon were killed by the IDF over the weekend, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israeli military also confirmed that Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, was eliminated by

Digital reached out to the White House for further comment.