US' Biden-Netanyahu Not Doing Enough To Get Hostage Deal

Wires carrying comments from US President Joe Biden. He claims that "We are very close to a final hostage deal", but says that he does not think Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is doing enough to close an agreement. Biden's comments come amid rising political anger that has seen mass protests followed by a general strike in the past 48 hours following the news on 31 August that the bodies of six hostages had been recovered by the IDF in southern Gaza.

• Since mid-August, following talks in Doha and Cairo involving Israel, the US, Qatar, and Egypt, there has been a 'bridging proposal' in place from the US that seeks to implement a hostages-for-Gaza ceasefire agreement. However, reports suggest that Netanyahu, when speaking to the families of hostages, said that the IDF would remain in the Philadelphi corridor (separating Gaza and Egypt) during any ceasefire, which would breach the deal.
• A discussion and vote in the security cabinet on the issue is alleged to have descended into a shouting match between Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
• Israel's largest trade union, the Histadrut Labor Federation, held a general strike today. The country's labour court ordered the strike to end at 1430 local time (0730ET, 1230BST). Even with the strike ordered to conclude, protests - including at Netanyahu's residence - are set to continue.