International

He’s Not Doing Enough To Free Gaza Hostages – Biden Criticizes Netanyahu

Published

4 months ago

Sep 2, 2024.

Dennis

President Joe Biden has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not doing enough to secure a hostage deal and a ceasefire with Hamas, according to reports suggesting that a new proposal will be presented to Netanyahu as a “final” offer.

During a meeting in the Situation Room, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris discussed the proposal with negotiators as protests erupted in Israel following the deaths of six hostages in Gaza over the weekend.

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When asked if Netanyahu was doing enough, Biden responded with a firm “no,” but emphasized that the U.S. would continue to push vigorously for a deal.

U.S. officials have described the latest proposal as a “take it or leave it” deal, as reported by The Washington Post. This move comes after the recovery of the bodies of six hostages in Gaza, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, which has intensified public protests in Israel against Netanyahu’s handling of the crisis.

Following the meeting, Biden expressed the U.S.’s deep outrage and devastation over the deaths and vowed that Hamas leaders would face consequences for their actions. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also met with the families of the remaining U.S. hostages, informing them of the upcoming “final” proposal.

The family of Edan Alexander, an Israeli military member still held hostage in Gaza, has urged Israel to accept the deal, calling it a “now or never” situation. Despite ongoing efforts by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt to secure a ceasefire and hostage release, frustrations have grown over what some view as Netanyahu’s political motivations prolonging the conflict.

The ongoing war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, has led to significant casualties, with over 40,000 Palestinians killed in Israeli retaliatory strikes, according to Gaza health authorities. The situation has also had political repercussions in the U.S., with growing pressure on the Biden administration from various factions, including criticism from Republican nominee Donald Trump, who has blamed Biden and Harris for the recent hostage deaths.

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