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Biden gives blunt message to Netanyahu on the Hamas hostage crisis he finally returns from the beach
President Joe Biden was back to weighing difficult tradeoffs in stalled ceasefire negotiations as he returned to the White House Monday following his two-week vacation.
The president reworked his travel plans for Labor Day to allow him to hold talks with his hostage negotiating team in the White House Situation Room, days after the horrific killings of six hostages in Gaza. That had him meeting with top security experts on a response to what Vice President Kamala Harris called the 'brutal, barbaric act' of the slaying of six hostages held captive for 330 days.
The new logistics had him flying directly to the White House via Marine One from near his Rehoboth Beach vacation house, on a day that mixed R&R, fraught policy choices, campaign politics.
Upon arrival, Biden was immediately asked by reporters about the strikes in Israel demanding a ceasefire agreement, and whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was doing enough to secure a deal.
'No,' was Biden's stern reply.
Biden will be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, in just the latest move by the White House to establish her as a governing partner.
Back at work: President Joe Biden flew back to the White House Monday after a two-week vacation, and immediately faced questions about the situation in Gaza and a stalled ceasefire deal to free hostages
Asked if he was planning to present a final hostage deal, Biden said 'we're very close to that.' He declined to weigh in on the demonstrations in Israel, but indicated he will get briefed on it inside the White House.
Biden also made referenced to slain Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, after having spoken to his parents, who gave emotional testimony at the Democratic National Convention.
'I've spoken to the American hostage - I've spoken to his mom and dad. And we're not giving up. We're going to continue to push as hard as we can,' he said.
Officials have said Hersh Goldberg-Polin and two other hostages found dead in a tunnel under Gaza were on a list of people that Hamas would return under ceasefire deal been finalized.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met in the Situation Room with the team that has been negotiating on an illusive cease fire / hostage deal
Biden took off from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Monday morning
The body of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, (pictured) was recovered from Gaza on Saturday
His parents Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, pictured at the DNC 12 days ago, confirmed his death in a statement on Sunday, hours after the Israeli army said it had located bodies in Gaza. They said: 'With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time'
Biden spoke to reporters as he left the White House Monday afternoon for a Labor Day event in Pittsburgh
Biden is back at the White House after vacationing in California and Delaware following his remarks at the Democratic Convention
'Hope springs eternal,' Biden responded when asked why he thinks the deal could be successful despite past talks dragging on without conclusion.
Netanyahu is also facing domestic political pressure to reach a ceasefire deal, which some hostage families accusing him of 'moving the goal posts' in talks with intermediaries and Hamas, which carried out the Oct. 7 attacks that killed 1,200 in Israel.
Biden has been mostly out of sight since he flew to California following his speech to the DNC August 19th. He has spent the last week in Delaware, relaxing on the beach and reading newspapers , venturing out to go church, and commenting on the tragic killings of six hostages in Gaza.
On Monday, he received the President’s Daily Brief at home, then boarded Marine One to fly back to the White House (dodging holiday traffic on the roads). He has plans to meet with hostage negotiators in the Situation Room along with Vice President Harris. Then he flies to Pittsburgh, where he will join Harris at a campaign event.
There are indications the public will be seeing more of Biden even though he is no longer seeking reelection. He heads to battleground Wisconsin Thursday – his first trip there since dropping out of the race.
The White House provided a brief readout of the meeting in the Situation Room.
'President Biden expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder, and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable,' according to the readout.
'During the meeting, President Biden and Vice President Harris received an update from the U.S. negotiation team on the status of the bridging proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. They discussed next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages, including continuing consultations with co-mediators Qatar and Egypt.'
Present were Secretary of State Antony Blinken, CIA Director Bill Burns, national security advisor Jake Sullivan, NSC official Brett McGurk, and others.
Harris posted her own message following the meeting, including an additional image of herself and Blinken.
'Today, @POTUS and I met with the U.S. hostage deal negotiation team. The murder of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages was a brutal, barbaric act by Hamas terrorists. As @POTUS said, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. It is long past time for a ceasefire and hostage deal. We need to bring the hostages home and end the suffering in Gaza,' according to Harris's official VP account.