White House vows to STILL give 'ironclad' support for Israel to defend itself despite Biden's fury at Netanyahu after U.S. warned Iran could attack in HOURS in retaliation for Damascus strike

Joe Biden will continue his 'ironclad' support of Israel even as he demanded an 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza and warned Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce Palestinian civilian casualties, the White House says.

A phone call between Biden and Netanyahu on Thursday was 'pretty frank' and the U.S. president insisted that Israel do more to protect civilians from air strikes, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

'Our support is ironclad and consistent, it's not gonna stop and it's not gonna waver,' Kirby said. 'But will there perhaps be policy changes we may have to make if we don't see policy changes out of Israel? Yes.' 

Biden's frustration with Netanyahu escalated after an Israeli strike hit a World Central Kitchen aid convoy this week, killing seven aid workers including an American citizen.

White House national security communications adviser John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC,

United States President Joe Biden called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to demand changes to their war in Gaza

The phone call between Biden and Netanyahu came as Tel Aviv is bracing for a military response from Iran after an Israeli attack on a building in Damascus, Syria that killed two Iranian generals and five officers. 

The CIA has reportedly warned Tel Aviv that a retaliation from Tehran is imminent, and the Israelis have cancelled all leave for combat troops.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday said Israel would pay a 'heavy price' for the Damascus attack. 

Families of members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who were killed in the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy complex in the Syrian capital Damascus, attend a funeral ceremony in Tehran, Iran April 4, 2024. 

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of attacks from Iran within hours

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (centre) praying over the coffins of members of the Iranian revolutionary guards corps

Khamenei conversing with families and relatives of Revolutionary Guard Corps members killed in a strike

Rescue workers search in the rubble of a building annexed to the Iranian embassy a day after an air strike in Damascus on April 2 

The White House did not threaten specific consequences if Israel failed to reduce casualties in Gaza, but said U.S. officials would be watching Israeli actions closely.

'We're going to watch and see what Israel does here. We expect that in coming hours and days they will make announcements of changes they're going to make, I don't want to get ahead of them,' Kirby told Fox News.

He said it was premature to discuss any specific U.S. policy changes in relation to Israel.

Netanyahu spoke about the possibility of the attacks from Iran after he completed his phone call with Biden.

'We will know how to defend ourselves, and we will act according to the simple principle: that those who harm us or plan to harm us, we will harm,' he said.