Top Biden administration officials are describing a new sense of urgency to get a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.
President Joe Biden is personally involved in the discussions to reach a cease-fire, according to national security spokesperson John Kirby, but the administration has yet to offer a timeline of when a deal could be reached.
Over the weekend, President Biden met with top national security officials after mediators had convened in Doha and Cairo. Officials said President Biden tasked his team to do everything it can to get a deal done.
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A major sticking point in the negotiations is what's known as the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land at the Gaza-Egypt border. Netanyahu has shown no willingness to leave that corridor, which is called for in the initial outline of President Biden's cease-fire plan.
In addition to international pressure, Netanyahu is facing pressure inside his country to reach a deal. Thousands of anti-government protesters have taken to the streets in Israel since it was revealed Hamas killed six more hostages.
Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin was among the dead. Kirby said President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Goldberg-Polin's parents on Monday to discuss the next steps.
Meanwhile, a statement from the families of the remaining American hostages says they warned that Hamas is killing hostages, adding, "Enough is enough."
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"We demand Prime Minister Netanyahu close the deal with Hamas and bring the hostages home to their loved ones," the statement goes on to say.
President Biden was critical of Netanyahu over the weekend, saying he doesn't believe the Israeli prime minister is doing enough to reach a cease-fire deal. The White House has refused to elaborate further on Biden’s criticism of Netanyahu — with officials telling reporters that his words speak for themselves.
A defiant Netanyahu responded: "They murdered six of our hostages in cold blood, so after this horrible murder, I don't believe someone serious would come and say, 'Now, make more concessions. You are not serious. Hamas is serious' ... I can't believe President Biden actually said that."
The White House maintains that Hamas was solely responsible for the executions, and pledged that the terrorist organization will “pay" for its crimes.
