Chicago – September 02, 2024
President Joe Biden criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not doing enough to secure a hostage deal and ceasefire with Hamas, as the U.S. works on a final proposal. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with negotiators in the White House Situation Room on Monday, as protests erupted in Israel over the deaths of six hostages in Gaza.
When asked if Netanyahu was doing enough, Biden responded, “no,” and vowed that the U.S. would keep pushing for a deal. U.S. officials described the new proposal as a “take it or leave it” offer, according to The Washington Post.
The urgency of the talks increased after Israel recovered the bodies of six hostages, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, leading to public outcry against Netanyahu’s handling of the crisis. In the meeting, Biden and Harris discussed next steps, including ongoing negotiations with Qatar and Egypt to help secure the release of the remaining hostages.
