3 months ago
9
US President Joe Biden on Monday said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure a deal to release hostages held by
Hamas
in war-torn Gaza City. During an interaction with reporters at the White House, the US President asserted that he was very close to presenting a final proposal on a deal regarding the release of hostages.
Biden's remark came after the bodies of six hostages, including 23-year-old American Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were recovered over the weekend by the Israeli forces.
According to the Israeli military, the individuals were killed by Palestinian Hamas militants.
When asked about the final
hostage deal
, if he was about to present to both sides, Biden said, "We're very close to that", adding "Hope springs eternal," on whether the deal would be successful.
Biden administration was criticised for the
Gaza ceasefire
strategy after the latest hostage deaths amid the US presidential campaign. Pressure has mounted on Israeli prime minister from Israelis to secure the return of the remaining hostages.
When asked if he believed Netanyahu was doing enough to achieve a hostage deal, Biden simply said, "No".
Biden's criticism of Netanyahu came on the heels of growing demands for decisive action to end the nearly 11-month-long conflict in Gaza.
According to reports, the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has created a division within the Democratic Party. Many members are urging Biden and Kamala Harris to limit or impose conditions on US weapons being supplied to Washington's primary ally in the Middle East, Israel, amid the war.
Biden and Harris on Monday are expected to hold a meeting with the US hostage deal negotiating team to discuss ongoing efforts to reach an agreement for the release of remaining captives.
