- Biden faced questions from reporters about the ceasefire agreement and hostages
- He flew back to the White House at the end of a two-week vacation.
President Joe Biden again weighed difficult trade-offs in stalled cease-fire negotiations as he returned to the White House on Monday after a two-week vacation.
The president changed his Labor Day travel plans so he could hold talks with his hostage negotiating team in the White House Situation Room, days after the horrific killings of six hostages in Gaza.
The new logistics had him flying directly to the White House via Marine One from near his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, on a day that mixed rest and relaxation, tough policy decisions and campaign politics.
Upon his arrival, Biden was immediately asked by reporters about the attacks in Israel demanding a ceasefire agreement and whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was doing enough to achieve a deal.
“No,” was Biden’s stern response.
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 to work: President Joe Biden returned to the White House on Monday after a two-week vacation, immediately facing questions about the situation in Gaza and a stalled ceasefire deal to free hostages.
Asked whether he planned to present a final deal on the hostages, Biden said “we’re very close to that.” He declined to comment on the protests in Israel but said he would be briefed on them at the White House.
Biden also referred to slain Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, after speaking to his parents, who gave emotional testimony at the Democratic National Convention.
“I have spoken to the American hostage, I have spoken to his mother and father. And we will not give up. We will continue to press with all our strength,” he said.
Officials said Hersh Goldberg-Polin and two other hostages found dead in a tunnel under Gaza were on a list of people Hamas would return if the ceasefire deal was finalized.
Biden took off from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on 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 Democratic National Convention 12 days ago, confirmed his death in a statement on Sunday, hours after the Israeli military 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 everyone for their love and support and asks for privacy at this time.”
Biden returns to the White House after spending a vacation in California and Delaware following his remarks at the Democratic Convention
“Hope is the last thing to die,” Biden said when asked why he thinks the deal could succeed despite previous talks dragging on inconclusively.
Netanyahu also faces domestic political pressure to reach a ceasefire deal, with some hostage families accusing him of “moving the goalposts” in talks with intermediaries and Hamas, which carried out the Oct. 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel.
Biden has been largely out of sight since flying to California following his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19. He has spent the past week in Delaware, relaxing on the beach and reading newspapers, venturing out to church and commenting on the tragic killings of six hostages in Gaza.
On Monday, he received the president’s daily briefing at home and then boarded Marine One to return to the White House (avoiding holiday road traffic). He plans to meet with hostage negotiators in the Situation Room alongside Vice President Harris. He will then fly to Pittsburgh, where he will join Harris at a campaign event.
There are signs that the public will see more of Biden even though he is no longer seeking re-election. He heads to Wisconsin on Thursday, his first trip there since dropping out of the race.
