President Biden has expressed his dissatisfaction with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to secure a hostage deal with Hamas, claiming that Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure the release of the hostages. Biden’s remarks came shortly before he entered the Situation Room for a briefing on the hostage situation. The meeting followed the tragic murder of 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages by Hamas on Saturday.
Adding to the urgency of the situation, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of an Israeli-American hostage still held captive by Hamas, pleaded earlier Monday for the United States and Israel to secure a deal, even if it meant negotiating with “Satan.” Dekel-Chen acknowledged the efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to broker an agreement between Israel and Hamas, a group he describes as a “savage terrorist organization.” However, he emphasized that Israeli intelligence suggests Hamas’s forces are weakened, leaving Netanyahu without any further excuses to delay a deal. He urged immediate action to bring home the remaining 101 hostages, including seven Americans, who were taken into Gaza on October 7, 2023.
The situation remains fluid, and this story is developing. Stay tuned for updates.
