US President Joe Biden said today that he doesn’t think Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing enough to secure a prisoner deal with Hamas.
The US president also said he believed a final deal to free prisoners held by the Palestinian group was “very close”.
Earlier, the “Washington Post” reported that the US plans to present a final “take it or leave it” ceasefire agreement in the coming weeks.
An unnamed Biden administration official said it could mark the end of American-led talks if the two sides do not accept the deal.
Biden’s remarks came two days after the recovery of the bodies of six Israeli prisoners in Gaza, which sparked protests against Netanyahu’s government last weekend.
Israel estimates that the Palestinian group Hamas is still holding more than 100 prisoners in Gaza, with some believed to have already been killed.
For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to secure a prisoner exchange and cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled by Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to end the war.
In the Israeli war in Gaza since October 7 last year, more than 40,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed, and 94,100 were wounded.
The continued blockade of the enclave has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, and much of the enclave is in ruins.
Israel is facing charges of genocide before the International Court of Justice, AA writes.
