US President Joe Biden says that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is not doing his best to reach an agreement with Hamas to release the hostages.
Before a White House meeting with US mediators in the Gaza conflict, when reporters asked Joe Biden if Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was doing enough to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, his response was, No.
Biden's meeting with negotiators comes after the bodies of six hostages, including an American citizen, were found in Gaza on Sunday.
The US President said that the final proposals regarding the mediated cease-fire agreement are very close to being presented to Israel and Hamas.
Biden's previously scheduled schedule for the White House meeting had to be rearranged. The meeting will also be attended by Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic Party's candidate for the November presidential election
A statement from the White House said that Kamala Harris will meet with American mediators regarding Gaza on Monday after the bodies of six hostages were recovered on Sunday.
The United States, along with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, have been trying for months to broker a ceasefire in Gaza and agreements between Israel and Hamas for the release and exchange of prisoners and hostages.
Of the 251 Israelis taken hostage during the October 7 attack, only seven have been rescued alive by the Israeli military. However, several were released during a week-long ceasefire in November last year.
Since then, reconciliation efforts between Israel and Hamas by the US, Qatar and Egypt have been stymied.
It should be noted that the Israeli trade union 'Hastadrut' called for a general strike which started at 6 am according to Israeli time.
However, at the behest of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smartach, the Attorney General filed a petition in court to stop the nationwide strike, upon which the court issued an order to stop the strike.
Relatives of the hostages and protesters have accused Netanyahu's government of not doing enough to free the hostages.
During mass rallies on Sunday, protesters urged the government to sign a cease-fire deal with Hamas in Gaza to allow for the safe and early return of hostages.
40,786 Palestinians have been killed so far in Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, the overwhelming majority of those killed are women and children
