US President Joe Biden on Monday criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not doing enough to secure a ceasefire deal.
As per Reuters, Biden's criticism of Netanyahu comes as he and Vice President Kamala Harris, face growing demands for decisive action to end the nearly 11-month-old Gaza conflict.
Biden spoke to reporters at the White House after Israeli forces retrieved the bodies of six hostages, including 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, from a Gaza tunnel.
When asked if he would present the final hostage deal this week, Biden responded that they are "very close" and added, "Hope springs eternal" regarding the deal's success.
The recent deaths of the hostages have intensified criticism of Biden's approach to the Gaza ceasefire strategy and increased pressure on Netanyahu to bring the remaining hostages home.
The conflict has also caused divisions among Democrats, with many progressives urging Biden to impose conditions on US weapons supplies to Israel.
Additionally, Biden and Harris were scheduled to meet with the US negotiating team on Monday to discuss efforts to finalize a deal for the remaining hostages' release.
