President Joe Biden expressed his belief that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not done enough to secure a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas following the discovery of six executed hostages in a Gaza tunnel, including American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The victims’ families had made a public appeal at the Democratic National Convention for their return, prompting massive protests across Israel accusing Netanyahu of failing to reach an agreement. The president’s comments come amidst a nationwide strike that threatens to paralyze the economy. While the Biden administration has criticized Hamas for impeding negotiations, they have also acknowledged that conditions introduced by Netanyahu have complicated efforts. Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, met with U.S. hostage negotiation officials at the White House and expressed optimism about reaching a deal, although he could not guarantee its success. Despite the challenges, Biden assured the hostages’ families that the U.S. would continue to push for a resolution. Netanyahu and the Israeli embassy have not yet responded to Biden’s comments. The president’s remarks highlight the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas and the difficulty in achieving a hostage deal amid escalating conflict. Hope remains that a resolution can be reached, but the situation remains uncertain.
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