Following mass protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu across Israel over the execution of six Hamas hostages in Gaza, US President Joe Biden on Monday called on Netanyahu to show greater "urgency" in reaching a hostage deal. This was reported by France24, according to UNN.
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US President Joe Biden said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure a deal to free hostages held in Gaza by Hamas militants, and that the US is close to making a final offer to negotiators working on a hostage and ceasefire agreement.
Biden was speaking to reporters at the White House after Israeli forces pulled the bodies of six hostages, including 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, from a Gaza tunnel over the weekend. The Israeli military said they had recently been killed by Hamas militants.
This sparked criticism of the Biden administration's strategy for a ceasefire in Gaza and increased pressure on Netanyahu from Israelis to return the remaining hostages home.
Asked whether he believed Netanyahu was doing enough to reach a hostage deal, Biden replied: "No.
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Netanyahu responded to a question about Biden's comments by saying that pressure should be put on Hamas, not Israel, especially after the deaths of the hostages.
"And now after that, we are asked to be serious? Are we being asked to make concessions? What kind of signal does that send to Hamas? It says: kill more hostages," he said at a press conference in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu said that he did not believe that Biden or anyone else serious about peace would ask Israel to make concessions, and that Hamas would have to do so.
Asked if he plans to present a final hostage deal to both sides this week, Biden told reporters: "We are very close to that.
"Hope is eternal," he added when asked if the deal would be successful.
Later in the evening, Biden said he planned to speak with Netanyahu "eventually," but did not give a clear timeline.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also met with the U.S. hostage negotiating team, during which the president expressed "devastation and outrage" at the killing of the hostages and discussed next steps in the effort to free the remaining prisoners, the White House said.
Senior Israeli sources said it was "noteworthy" that Biden was putting pressure on Netanyahu over the hostage deal, but not on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
In response to the Israeli comment, a US official said that while Biden made it clear that Hamas was responsible for the deaths of the hostages, "he also calls on the Israeli government to act with urgency to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
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A senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that Biden's criticism of Netanyahu is "an American recognition that Netanyahu is responsible for undermining efforts to reach an agreement.
He said that the group would respond positively to a proposal that would ensure a permanent ceasefire and Israel's complete withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave.
Netanyahu, who has accused Hamas of obstructing an agreement, said over the weekend that "those who kill hostages do not want an agreement.