Photo: Naama Grynbaum via Associated Press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in August
Agence France-Presse in Washington
Published at 2:11 p.m.
- Middle East
US President Joe Biden said Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to reach a deal to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Biden was speaking just before meeting at the White House with US negotiators working to free the hostages in the war between Israel and Hamas, after six of them were killed, including an Israeli-American.
Asked by the press whether Mr. Netanyahu was “doing enough” to secure a deal, Mr. Biden responded “no.”
He nevertheless assured that the negotiators were “very close” to announcing a deal within the week.
During this meeting, President Biden repeated “his outrage at the killings and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas accountable,” which Israel accused of executing the six hostages, according to a White House statement.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Vice President Kamala Harris, a candidate to succeed Mr. Biden in November, also took part in this exchange and denounced on X “a brutal and barbaric act by the terrorists of the Hamas.”
“It is high time to reach a ceasefire agreement to release the hostages. We must bring the hostages home and end the suffering in Gaza,” she added.
The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, which have also acted as mediators, have been pushing for months for a hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli prime minister asked for “forgiveness” from the families of the six hostages at a rare press conference on Monday, and assured that the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas would pay “a very high price.”
In the October 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel, 251 people were abducted and taken to the Gaza Strip. Among them, 97 are still being held there, including 33 declared dead by the Israeli army.
Many of the hostages were freed during a week-long truce in November.
Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose body the Israeli military announced Sunday had been found in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, along with those of five other hostages, was buried Monday in a Jerusalem cemetery in the presence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The 23-year-old was kidnapped while attending the Nova music festival with three friends.