US First Lady Jill Biden pleaded with her husband, the president, to "Stop it, stop it now," speaking about the war in Gaza, President Biden told guests at the White House on Tuesday, according to a report in The New York Times.

The comments came at a contentious Ramadan event held at the White House, to which many guests rejected invitations and which one guest walked out early in protest.

White House: No daylight between Joe and Jill on policy

The White House was quick to assure the press that the first lady's words expressed pain over the deaths of civilians but not a request that the Biden administration withdraw support for Israel's war against Hamas.

"Just like the president, the first lady is heartbroken over the attacks on aid workers and the ongoing loss of innocent lives in Gaza. They both want Israel to do more to protect civilians," said Elizabeth Alexander, Jill Biden's communications director.

The reference to "attacks on aid workers" follows Israel's mistaken targeting of a World Central Kitchen convoy delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza.