Netanyahu criticized for not being pressured by Biden after Jewish hostage murder.

The response "no" from President Biden to the question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza sparked a wave of criticism.

On Monday, Biden made a brief comment as he entered the Situation Room with Vice President Harris and a negotiating team to discuss the murder of 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages by Hamas on Saturday.

Netanyahu denied responsibility for the hostage murders, stating that they were not extricated despite being very close. He said, "It's terrible," but emphasized that the decision did not lead to the murders.

The Cabinet has made a decision to retain the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Philadelphi Corridor, which is a strategic imperative for Netanyahu, as he described it, to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas through an 8.7-mile strip of land that runs along Egypt and Gaza.

"The prime minister stated that the reason for the occurrence was that Hamas did not desire a deal, and he emphasized that he would do everything in his power to bring the hostages back home."

On Tuesday, when asked by Planet Chronicle Senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy why Biden was harder on Netanyahu than on the terrorist leader of Hamas, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre replied that, "The president has been very, very clear about Hamas leaders and what they have done." She added, "He was asked a question, he answered it directly, but Hamas is responsible. They have more American blood on their hands. The president was clear about that in his statement."

According to Caroline Glick, a former adviser to Netanyahu and columnist, the U.S. has been putting pressure on Israel alone since the start of the war. If the U.S. had allowed Israel to lay siege on Gaza and pressured Egypt to let Gazans seek shelter in Egypt or third countries, the war would have ended months ago. Instead, the U.S. chose to preserve Hamas' power by demanding that Israel keep Gaza fully supplied with humanitarian aid, which was then distributed or ransacked by Hamas.

The Biden-Harris administration's pressure for a hostage deal is not aimed at rescuing the hostages, but rather at obtaining a full cessation of the war in exchange for releasing up to 20% of the hostages. Hamas, which is holding the hostages, is not the target of this pressure.

On Sunday, there were reportedly around 80,000 protesters in Tel Aviv demanding that Netanyahu cut a deal with Hamas to free the remaining hostages. On Monday, the Israeli labor union federation Histadrut engaged in a general strike to force Israel's prime minister to end the war against Hamas and secure the release of the remaining hostages.

Despite the general strike and mass protest, the movement was not widespread enough to bring down the government or force Netanyahu into a concessionary deal that compromises the security of the Jewish state in Gaza.

According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Netanyahu agreed to a cease-fire and hostage deal two weeks ago, but Hamas was the deal-breaker. The Israeli government and American experts on terrorism believe that the U.S. and other Western powers are not putting enough pressure on Hamas and its sponsor, Qatar, to release the hostages.

David Friedman, the former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that on a day when Israel is grieving for its slain hostages, Biden should direct his criticism towards Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran rather than Israel's democratically elected leader.

Friedman, who served under President Trump, stated that Biden and Harris have been incorrect and weak in their handling of the conflict. They attempted to keep Israel out of Rafah, where the hostages were being held, for weeks. They lack credibility and consistently blame Netanyahu for their failures, exacerbating the rift within Israeli society.

The priority for both the Netanyahu and Biden administrations is to free the hostages, but many believe that not enough has been done to achieve this goal.

Aviva Siegel, a former Hamas hostage in Gaza whose 65-year-old American husband, Keith, is still being held there, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital, "My top priority is for Keith to return home alive, and I cannot bear the thought of him coming back in a casket."

Hamas held Siegel captive for 51 days. She described the conditions as "brutal" and stated that she had an infection. The water was not clean, and the food was inedible.

The Israeli government is not doing enough to bring them home.

She stated that she is not a politician, but has a heart and is against wars. She has been talking for nine months and is worried about Keith.

Siegel stated that "All hostages must be rescued before they are executed. I am fortunate to be alive and communicating. The hostages are unjustly suffering in poor conditions with no access to water and basic human rights. It's time for the world to take action. I endured a harrowing experience."

The former deputy assistant secretary of state, Joel Rubin, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that President Biden has been steadfast in his support for Israel's war against Hamas and has provided strong backing for Israeli security against recent Iranian threats. As a result, Israel has had no better ally than the United States in its fight against Hamas. Therefore, when President Biden says that a deal for a hostage release is possible and that Prime Minister Netanyahu should take advantage of it, we can be confident that he believes the risks associated with such a deal can be managed.

The president is not the only one who believes that now is the right time to make a courageous decision to close the deal. Israel's security establishment, its defense minister, and its negotiators all share this assessment. They believe that additional conditions, such as the one regarding the Philadelphi Corridor, can be mitigated. According to Rubin, what we just witnessed with the recent despicable murder of the six hostages is that Hamas once again showed us who it is: a murderous terrorist group willing to kill hostages in cold blood.

The most effective way to rescue the hostages alive is through a diplomatic deal, as Hamas will not change their behavior. A diplomatic deal is not a gift to Hamas, but rather a gift to the kidnapped Israelis, Americans, and other nationals who will be freed. This would be a gift for all of Israel and the decent people of the world.

Planet Chronicle Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.