President Joe Biden said Monday he did not believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had done enough to secure a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, a comment that comes amid massive protests in Israel.
Biden made the remark to reporters after a weekend in which the bodies of six hostages executed by Hamas were found in a Gaza tunnel. Among the bodies discovered was that of a 23-year-old American of Israeli origin. Hersh Goldberg-Polinwhose parents had publicly pleaded for their son’s return. The couple had brought their personal call at the Democratic National Convention, where they were received with a standing ovation.
The discovery of the hostages launched mass demonstrations of hundreds of thousands of people across Israel as Dissidents blame Netanyahu The failure to negotiate a hostage deal led to a national strike on Monday, threatening to paralyze the economy.
Reporters asked Biden if he thought Netanyahu had done enough to get a deal, and the president replied, “No.”
The Biden administration has repeatedly accused Hamas of delaying a deal, but recently U.S. and foreign officials have said conditions introduced by Netanyahu also disrupted efforts.
NBC News has reached out to Netanyahu and the Israeli Embassy for comment.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met Monday morning with the hostage deal negotiating team in the White House Situation Room. Participants included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and CIA Director William Burns.
According to a White House transcript of the meeting, the president “expressed his devastation and outrage at the killing, and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas leaders accountable.”
They also discussed next steps to secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, including consultations with co-mediators from Qatar and Egypt.
From the South Lawn of the White House, Biden said he was “very close” to delivering a final hostage deal this week.
But in a year-long war, the president has been unable to say conclusively that the deal would be acceptable.
“Hope keeps us alive,” he said.
Biden added that he had spoken to the families of the hostages.
“I’ve talked to his mother and father, and we’re not giving up. We’re going to continue to do our best,” he said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
