WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden expressed frustration on Monday, stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure a deal for the release of hostages held by the Palestinian group Hamas.
Biden’s remarks came as he prepared to meet with US negotiators working on the hostage-release deal.
When asked by reporters at the White House if he believed Netanyahu was doing enough to address the situation, Biden’s response was blunt: “No.”
The meeting at the White House, which also included Vice President Kamala Harris, was scheduled to address the urgent matter following the deaths of six hostages in Gaza, including an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, on Saturday.
The President and Harris were set to review progress on a potential proposal to be presented to both Israel and Hamas. Biden said negotiators were “very close” to a final proposal to be presented to Israel and Hamas.
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The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, has been mediating efforts for a hostage-prisoner exchange and a ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza conflict. Negotiators are reportedly “very close” to finalizing a deal.
Hamas seized 251 hostages during the October 7 attack on Israel, 97 of whom remain in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead. Efforts to negotiate their release have been complicated by the ongoing Israeli military bombardment campaign.
Since October 7, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 40,786 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the territory’s health ministry said. Most of the dead Palestinians are women and children according to the UN human rights office.
On Monday, an Israeli court intervened to halt a planned strike by the country’s largest union, which aimed to increase pressure on Netanyahu’s government to expedite the release of the remaining hostages. The strike was seen as a measure to compel the Israeli government to act more decisively.
Hostage relatives and advocacy groups have criticized Netanyahu’s administration for not doing enough to secure the safe return of the captives. Many have called for an immediate ceasefire and greater action to address the humanitarian crisis.
