US president Joe Biden welcomes Gaza truce as 44 Palestinians confirmed killed

US President Joe Biden on Sunday welcomed a truce between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants aimed at ending days of deadly bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, urging all parties to implement it fully.

The president said in a statement that Washington had worked with officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority and various countries in the region to "encourage a swift resolution to the conflict" over the previous three days.

"We also call on all parties to fully implement the ceasefire, and to ensure fuel and humanitarian supplies are flowing into Gaza as the fighting subsides," Biden added.

The president also lamented the injury and death of civilians in Gaza, but did not specify who was responsible. The bombings have killed at least 44 Palestinians, including 15 children.

"The reports of civilian casualties in Gaza are a tragedy, whether by Israeli strikes against Islamic Jihad positions or the dozens of Islamic Jihad rockets that reportedly fell inside Gaza," Biden said.

Buildings in Gaza have been reduced to rubble since Israel launched a bombing campaign on Gaza on Friday.

"As I made clear during my recent trip to Israel and the West Bank, Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy," added Biden, who travelled to the region last month.