Hillary Clinton reportedly told family members of Hamas-held hostages that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is more focused on politics than freeing their loved ones in Gaza.
The former secretary of state leveled the accusation against Netanyahu, 74, during a meeting at Columbia University on Wednesday with 16 children and siblings of some of the more than 100 hostages that remain in Palestinian territory, according to Haaretz.
Clinton, 76, reportedly urged the family members to ramp up the pressure on the Israeli government to strike a deal with Hamas terrorists that would see more hostages let out of Gaza.
She further accused Netanyahu of being more focused on “politics and his personal survival” than on negotiating the release of hostages.
“As long as the hostages are not the main and primary target for Israel, then everything that I or President Biden say or do is of little value,” Clinton said, according to sources that spoke with Ynet News.
The former Democratic presidential candidate also told family members that the Biden administration was making efforts to reach a “Christmas deal” that would lead to the release of more hostages, but that the fate of the deal was ultimately in the hands of Hamas and the Israeli government.
Eight Americans are believed to be among the 132 hostages that Hamas has refused to release since the terror group’s deadly Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state.
More than 100 people were released by Hamas during a temporary cease-fire with Israel which began on Nov. 24 and ended Dec. 1.
“The work that the families and the forum does is so important and influential. You need to keep doing it. Put pressure on all the players involved,” Clinton reportedly told the families of the hostages.
Hamas officials said Thursday they would not discuss any hostage exchange deal “except after a full cessation of aggression.”