Washington
CNN
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President Joe Biden mentioned Monday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is just not doing sufficient to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and added he’s “shut” to presenting a remaining deal to negotiators working to strike a hostage and ceasefire settlement in Gaza.
The president’s feedback got here as he was returning to the White Home to huddle with American officers who’ve been working to secure a deal that may pair a launch of hostages held in Gaza with a pause within the preventing. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, additionally attended the assembly earlier than becoming a member of Biden for a marketing campaign occasion in Pittsburgh.
The hostage launch efforts gained new urgency over the weekend with the invention of the our bodies of six hostages in a tunnel beneath the southern Gaza metropolis of Rafah, together with the Israeli-American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
The deaths have sparked outrage inside Israel, resulting in huge protests and a nationwide strike Monday. Demonstrators have referred to as on Netanyahu to place apart political ambitions to strike an settlement that may enable hostages to be launched.
Requested Monday whether or not Netanyahu was doing sufficient to achieve an settlement, Biden mentioned merely: “No.”
His one-word reply stored with Biden’s reluctance to criticize Netanyahu in public, however nonetheless mirrored deep frustrations contained in the White Home at how the Israeli chief has dealt with the battle and the hostage talks.
A senior Israeli supply criticized Biden’s assertion, saying: “It’s outstanding that President Biden is attempting to stress Prime Minister Netanyahu, who agreed to each the president’s proposal on Could thirty first and to the American bridging proposal on August sixteenth, and never Hamas’s chief Sinwar who continues to oppose any deal.”
“The president’s assertion can be harmful as a result of it comes days after Hamas executed 6 hostages, together with an American citizen.”
A US official responded to that criticism by saying, “The president has been clear that Hamas is liable for killing Hersh and the others and Hamas leaders can pay for his or her crimes. He’s additionally calling for urgency from the Israeli authorities in securing the discharge of the lacking remaining hostages.”
It’s the most recent signal of discord between the 2 leaders who’ve a protracted relationship that at instances is contentious and has been worn skinny during the last yr throughout Israel’s conflict in Gaza in response to the October 7 assaults by Hamas.
Biden later deflected questions concerning the Israeli response to his assertion. Because the president left for Pittsburgh, CNN’s Arlette Saenz requested him what extra he wished Netanyahu to do.
“We’re in the midst of negotiations,” Biden mentioned.
Requested about Netanyahu’s feedback about him, Biden responded: “We’re nonetheless in negotiations – not with him, however my colleagues from Qatar and Egypt.”
American officers mentioned the deaths of the six hostages over the weekend would probably apply new stress on Netanyahu to achieve an settlement, although the officers additionally mentioned it raised questions on how severe Hamas is towards hanging a deal.
“We’re very near that,” he mentioned when requested by CNN if he was planning to current a remaining proposal.
Requested Monday how the brand new deal being finalized can be totally different than different failed proposals, Biden responded: “Hope springs everlasting.”
However Netanyahu was extra vociferous in his complaints about how Hamas is treating the ceasefire talks. He mentioned in a information convention Monday that Israel has already proven “seriousness within the negotiations” and now “Hamas has to make the concessions.”
“On August 19, Secretary (Antony) Blinken mentioned, Israel accepted the US proposal. Now Hamas should do the identical. On August 28 – that’s 5 days in the past, 5 days in the past – the deputy CIA director mentioned that ‘Israel exhibits seriousness within the negotiations. Now, Hamas should present the identical seriousness,’” he mentioned. “I need to ask you, what has modified within the final 5 days? What has modified? One factor – these murderers executed six of our hostages. They shot them at the back of the top. That’s what’s modified.”
“Now, after this, we’re requested to indicate seriousness? We’re requested to make concessions? What message does this ship Hamas? It says, kill extra hostages. Homicide extra hostages. You get extra concessions,” Netanyahu argued, including that worldwide stress ought to be directed at Hamas.
“I don’t consider that both President Biden or anybody severe about reaching peace and reaching the discharge would severely ask Israel, Israel, to make these concessions. We’ve already made them. Hamas has to make the concessions,” Netanyahu mentioned.
Following the information of the killing of the six hostages in Gaza, officers concerned within the mediation of the ceasefire talks have been on the cellphone with one another discussing methods to push the ceasefire and hostage deal ahead, a supply conversant in the discussions instructed CNN.
However then Netanyahu gave his press convention Monday night, arguing that Israel won’t ever depart the Philadelphi hall, “and this man torpedoed every thing in a single speech,” the supply mentioned in an preliminary response afterwards.
Mossad director David Barnea additionally traveled to Doha and met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammad Abudlrahman Al Thani on Monday.
Lead Hamas negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya instructed Al Jazeera on Sunday there can be no deal with out the IDF withdrawing from the hall, which runs alongside the Egypt-Gaza border. Between the hostages and the Israeli army presence within the Philadelphi hall, the “Philadelphi (hall) was extra essential,” Hayya alleged.
Netanyahu’s latest insistence on staying in Philadelphi represents a change in place, sources conversant in the negotiations mentioned. When Biden introduced the framework on Could 31 – which he mentioned Israel had agreed to – it envisioned an IDF withdrawal eastward from populated areas. In line with a draft published in Israeli media, there was no point out of Philadelphi.
Within the weeks that adopted, Israel then added remaining in Philadelphi as a situation and the recent negotiations have mentioned what the IDF presence lengthy the border would appear to be.
A everlasting IDF presence within the Philadelphi hall would additionally contradict the US position on the way forward for Gaza. On Blinken’s most up-to-date journey to Israel in August he instructed reporters that the US won’t settle for “any long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel.” Administration officers have made clear they count on a full withdrawal by Israel from Gaza as the results of any everlasting ceasefire settlement.
This story has been up to date with extra reporting.
CNN’s Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.