President Joe Biden has stated that the U.S. is on the verge of proposing a new hostage deal to Israel and Hamas, with reports suggesting it could be the “final” offer.
Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, has met with negotiators in the Situation Room as part of efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.
In remarks made at the White House on Monday, Biden criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of not doing enough to secure a deal.
According to the Washington Post, U.S. officials have described the latest proposal as a “take it or leave it” offer.
This development follows the recent recovery of the bodies of six hostages in Gaza by Israel, which has sparked widespread protests in Israel against Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict and hostage crisis.
On Sunday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with the U.S. families of the remaining hostages, informing them that Biden would present a “final” proposal for hostage release and a ceasefire later this week.
The family of Edan Alexander, an Israeli military member still held hostage in Gaza, has urged Israel to accept the deal, describing it as “now or never.”
Adi Alexander, Edan’s father, praised the U.S. for its “dedication and commitment” to securing a deal, noting that Sunday marked his 15th meeting with Sullivan since his son’s abduction on October 7.
However, in an interview with CBS News, he appealed to U.S. officials to “do something different, because the outcome is the same after 11 months.”
Mr Alexander accused Mr Netanyahu of “prolonging the war for short-term political gain”.
“Time is passing by and we’re getting more bodies out of Gaza. This is unacceptable,” he said.
In his remarks on Monday, Mr Biden said the US was not giving up on a deal, and that the US was “going to continue to push as hard as we can”.
When asked if Mr Netanyahu was doing enough, he replied “no”.
The Washington Post reported the killing of the six hostages increased the urgency among Mr Biden’s aides to push for a deal.
“You can’t keep negotiating this. This process has to be called at some point,” one senior official told the newspaper.
“Does it derail the deal? No. If anything, it should add additional urgency in this closing phase, which we were already in,” they added.
The U.S., Qatar, and Egypt have been working for months to broker a deal that would include a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
The Biden administration has criticized Hamas for not agreeing to a deal, while also accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of making demands that have impeded progress.
The conflict began when Hamas breached the Gaza border on October 7, killing 1,200 Israelis and abducting 251.
In response, Israel has conducted retaliatory attacks that have resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Gaza health ministry.
The Biden administration’s handling of the situation has affected its standing, with pro-Palestinian factions within the Democratic Party calling for a ceasefire.
Republican nominee Donald Trump has blamed Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden for the recent hostage deaths, attributing it to their failure to secure a deal.