US President Joe Biden said today he is close to presenting a final proposal for a deal to release hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, but said he does not believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing enough to secure one. agreement.
Israeli forces over the weekend recovered the bodies of six hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Paulin, a 23-year-old Israeli-American, from an underground tunnel in Gaza.
Israel claimed that the six hostages had been killed about 48 to 72 hours earlier by Palestinian Hamas fighters.
That development drew criticism of the Biden administration’s strategy for a Gaza ceasefire and intensified Israeli pressure on Netanyahu to bring back the remaining hostages from the Palestinian enclave.
Mass demonstrations
Following the news of the hostages’ deaths, Israelis took part in mass protests, holding a “general strike” today to pressure the Netanyahu government into a deal.
Speaking on his arrival at the White House for a meeting with US negotiators handling the issue of a deal, Biden was asked by reporters if he thought Netanyahu was doing enough to secure a deal to release the hostages, with Biden giving a one-word reply : “No.”
Asked again if he plans to present a final hostage deal to the two sides this week, Biden said: “We’re very close to that.”
“Hope dies last,” he added when asked if he would reach a deal.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris – the Democratic candidate for the upcoming US elections – are expected to meet today with the US negotiating team to discuss efforts towards an agreement to release the remaining hostages.
Source: RES-MPE
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