Biden gives Netanyahu blunt message on Hamas hostage crisis, he finally returns from the beach

President Joe Biden was busy again on Monday after a two-week vacation, weighing difficult trade-offs in the stalled ceasefire negotiations.

The president changed his Labor Day travel plans so he could hold talks with his hostage negotiation team in the White House Situation Room, days after the horrific killing of six hostages in Gaza.

The new logistics saw him fly directly to the White House on Marine One from where he was staying near his Rehoboth Beach vacation home. It was a day of relaxation, fraught policy choices and campaign politics.

Upon arrival, Biden was asked directly by reporters about the attacks in Israel, urging a ceasefire agreement. He was also asked whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was doing enough to broker a deal.

“No,” was Biden’s stern response.

Biden will be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, the latest move by the White House to appoint her as a governing partner.

Back to work: President Joe Biden flew back to the White House on Monday after a two-week vacation and immediately faced questions about the situation in Gaza and a stalled ceasefire to free hostages

Asked if he planned to propose a final hostage agreement, Biden said, “We’re very close to that.” He declined to comment on the protests in Israel, but said he would brief the White House on the matter.

Biden also referenced murdered Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin after speaking to his parents, who gave emotional testimony at the Democratic National Convention.

“I’ve talked to the American hostage – I’ve talked to his mother and father. And we’re not giving up. We’re going to keep pushing as hard as we can,” he said.

Officials have said that Hersh Goldberg-Polin and two other hostages found dead in a tunnel under Gaza are on a list of people Hamas would return if a ceasefire agreement is finalized.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met in the Situation Room with the team negotiating an illusory ceasefire/hostage deal

Biden left Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Monday morning

The body of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, (pictured) was recovered in 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 military said it had found bodies in Gaza. They said: ‘With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated by the passing of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks all of you for your love and support and requests your privacy at this time.’

Biden is back in the White House after a vacation in California and Delaware following his remarks at the Democratic Convention

“The hope remains,” Biden said when asked why he thinks the deal can be successful despite previous talks continuing without results.

Netanyahu is also facing domestic political pressure to reach a ceasefire. Some hostage families accuse him of “shifting the goalposts” in talks with intermediaries and Hamas, the organization responsible for the October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel.

Biden has largely disappeared from view since flying to California after his speech to the DNC on August 19. He has spent the past week in Delaware, relaxing on the beach and reading newspapers, going to church and commenting on the tragic killing 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 (to avoid the holiday travel). He plans to meet with hostage negotiators in the Situation Room, along with Vice President Harris. He will then fly to Pittsburgh, where he will join Harris at a campaign rally.

There are signs that the public will see more of Biden, even if he is no longer seeking reelection. He travels to the battleground state of Wisconsin on Thursday — his first trip there since dropping out of the race.

The White House provided a brief account of the meeting in the Situation Room.

“President Biden expressed his dismay and outrage over the killing and reiterated the importance of holding Hamas leaders accountable,” the statement said.

‘During the meeting, President Biden and Vice President Harris received an update from the U.S. negotiating 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 continued consultations with co-mediators Qatar and Egypt.’

Attendees included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, CIA Director Bill Burns, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, NSC official Brett McGurk and others.