Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press conference with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct 28, 2023. (PHOTO / POOL VIA AP)

WASHINGTON - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would consider "tactical little pauses" in Gaza fighting to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid or allow the exit of hostages held by Hamas militants.

But the Israeli leader reiterated his country's rejection of a ceasefire without the release of all people being held captive in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave.

Netanyahu made the comments in a US television interview during which he was asked who should govern Gaza after the fighting is over.

READ MORE: UN chief urges to cease fire as toll in Gaza tops 10,000

"I think Israel will for an indefinite period will have the overall security responsibility because we've seen what happens when we don't have that security responsibility," Netanyahu told ABC News.

As far as tactical little pauses - an hour here, an hour there - we've had them before. I suppose we'll check the circumstances, in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods, to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages, to leave.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

Israel launched an air and ground offensive against Hamas after the militant group carried out a deadly gun rampage in southern Israel last month, killing 1,400 people and taking 240 others hostage. Israeli bombardment has killed at least 10,000 in Gaza, according to the enclave's health authorities.

Both Israel and Hamas have rebuffed mounting international pressure for a ceasefire. Israel says Hamas should release the hostages first; Hamas says it will not free them or stop fighting while Gaza is under assault.

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Asked if he was open to a humanitarian pause in Gaza, Netanyahu said: "Well, there'll be no ceasefire, no general ceasefire in Gaza without the release of our hostages."

He added: "As far as tactical little pauses - an hour here, an hour there - we've had them before. I suppose we'll check the circumstances, in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods, to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages, to leave."

People walk outside the walls of the old city of Jerusalem, on which are projected pictures of the hostages abducted by Palestinian militants on the Oct 7 attack and currently held in the Gaza Strip, on Nov 6, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

The Israeli Prime Minister on Monday also met with US President Joe Biden and discussed the potential for "tactical pauses" in fighting in Gaza for humanitarian reasons and possible hostage releases in talks, according to a spokesperson.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said the US and Israeli governments would continue to be in touch on such potential temporary pauses and that Biden and Netanyahu agreed to continue talks in the coming days.

"You can expect that we're going to continue to advocate for temporary and localized pauses in the fighting," Kirby told reporters. "We consider ourselves at the beginning of this conversation, not at the end of it."

READ MORE: Biden faces pressure over Gaza conflict

Those conversations came as more Americans are expected to exit Gaza on Monday and as more aid enters the territory, Kirby said. Biden and Netanyahu also discussed the situation in the West Bank.

"We know - gotta get more trucks in. It's still just a trickle," Kirby said. "Gotta get more people out. Still just a trickle."

The White House said that fewer than 30 aid trucks entered Gaza in the last 24 hours.

The White House, which maintains that a general ceasefire would not be an appropriate step, has been pushing for shorter pauses in strikes to accomplish specific humanitarian goals.