TEL AVIV — Secretary of Defense Austin was expected to press Israel to wind down major combat operations in Gaza on a visit Monday, in the latest test of whether America can leverage its wavering support for the offensive to blunt its impact on Palestinian Arabs.

France, Britain, and Germany — some of Israel’s most fickle allies — joined global calls for a cease-fire over the weekend. Israeli protesters have demanded the government relaunch talks with Hamas on releasing more hostages after three were mistakenly killed by Israeli troops while waving a white flag.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will keep fighting until it removes Hamas from power, crushes its still-formidable military capabilities, and returns the dozens of hostages still held by the group after its October 7 attack, which ignited the war.

America has vetoed calls for a cease-fire at the United Nations and rushed munitions to Israel while pressing it to take greater steps to avoid harming civilians. Mr. Austin and the chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs, General C.Q. Brown, are expected to press Israeli leaders to transition to a new phase of the war after weeks of heavy bombardment and a ground offensive.

American officials have called for targeted operations aimed at killing Hamas leaders, destroying tunnels, and rescuing hostages. Those calls came after President Biden warned that Israel is losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing.” 

Yet Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said last week that his country would continue major combat operations against Hamas for several more months.