The United Kingdom and Australia on Friday declared the need for an "immediate cessation of fighting" in Gaza, as diplomatic pressure built on Israel to rethink a planned ground assault on the southern city of Rafah.

Australian and UK Foreign and Defence Ministers in a statement after talks in Adelaide, stressed the "urgency of an immediate cessation of fighting in Gaza to allow aid to flow and hostages to be released.

The call came just hours before the United States was expected to put a resolution to the UN Security Council that would stress the need for an immediate ceasefire.

Speaking to reporters after the talk, Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, talked about the need for an immediate cease fire.

The United States has for months vetoed calls for resolutions, shielding its closest Middle Eastern ally Israel from United Nations criticism as it avenges the attacks of October 7.

There are concerns in Washington about the human toll of Israel's five-month-old Gaza offensive and the political fallout across the Middle East.

According to reports the operation has enraged the Arab world and claimed almost 32,000 lives, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

There are also suspicions in Washington that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be dragging out the war for political reasons.