US President Joe Biden on Monday (Sept 2) said that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to secure a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
The United States, meanwhile, was close to presenting a “take it or leave it deal” on hostage release and subsequent ceasefire to put a conclusive end to the 11-month war in Gaza.
Biden was speaking to reporters at the White House after Israeli forces over the weekend recovered the bodies of six hostages, including 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, from a tunnel in Gaza.
Israeli military claimed the hostages were recently killed by the Palestinian Hamas militants.
That has sparked criticism of the Biden administration’s Gaza ceasefire strategy and put up pressure on Netanyahu from Israelis to bring the remaining hostages back home.
Asked whether he thought Netanyahu was doing enough to reach a hostage deal, Biden said “No.”
Biden, however, did not elaborate on his remarks.
Netanyahu appeared to push back when asked about Biden’s comments, saying pressure should be applied to Hamas, not Israel, particularly after the hostages’ deaths.
“And now after this we’re asked to show seriousness? We’re asked to make concessions? What message does this send Hamas? It says, kill more hostages,” he told a news conference in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu said he did not believe Biden or anyone serious about achieving peace would ask Israel to make more concessions and that instead it was Hamas that needed to do so.
Asked if he was planning to present a final hostage deal to both sides this week, Biden told reporters: “We’re very close to that.”
“Hope springs eternal,” he added when asked whether a deal would be successful.
Biden said later in the evening that he plans to talk to Netanyahu “eventually” but did not specify a clear timeline when asked. Biden and Netanyahu have spoken several times amid Israel’s war in Gaza.
Netanyahu, who has accused Hamas of obstructing any agreement, said over the weekend that “whoever murders hostages does not want a deal….CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLE>>>
