Randi Weingarten places blame on Netanyahu for hostage murders in Gaza: 'Anger must be directed' at him

On Sunday, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, accused Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, of being partially responsible for the murders of hostages by Hamas.

"Weingarten wrote on X that our hearts are breaking for the families of the Hamas hostages who were murdered, while also placing anger at Netanyahu's feet for his refusal to complete a cease fire/hostage release deal."

On Saturday, six hostages were killed by Hamas terrorists, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, as Israel Defense Forces prepared for a rescue mission in the tunnels beneath Gaza's Rafah.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson, stated over the weekend that according to their initial assessment, the individuals were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists just before they were reached.

Jack Lew's statement on the murders prompted a response from Weingarten on social media.

""We are devastated and enraged by the news that Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages were murdered by Hamas. As President Biden and Secretary Blinken have stated, we will not stop until all hostages are returned home. We share in the grief of Jon and Rachel Goldberg-Polin and their families, and we pledge to bring all the other hostages back safely," Lew wrote."

Weingarten, a staunch progressive, faced criticism from pro-Israel corners, including former U.S. Ambassador David Friedman, for his post. He listed out what supposed conditions of a deal Netanyahu violated and wrote, "Perhaps there was a great deal on the table that Bibi blew. However, unless you can answer all these questions, your comment is just insensitive political drivel that further divides the Jewish people already in crisis."

Netanyahu has pledged to secure the release of the remaining hostages through a deal with Hamas.

We will not give up on our pursuit of a deal that guarantees our security and the release of our hostages, as the Government of Israel and I are both fully committed to this goal, as stated by Netanyahu.

"I declare to the Hamas terrorists who took our hostages and their leaders: You will pay the consequences. We will not stop, nor will we remain silent. We will track you down, find you, and settle the score," he stated.

The White House confirmed the murders on Saturday.

Planet Chronicle' Hannah Grossman and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.