Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) criticized President Joe Biden for accepting the conditions of a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that did not include the release of all American hostages.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day ceasefire in the war in Gaza, with details confirmed by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday morning. The United States helped mediate the deal along with Qatar and Egypt. Under the deal, 50 women and children held captive in Gaza by Hamas will be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, also women and children, held by Israel.
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Phillips, who is challenging Biden for the Democratic nomination for president, said he would not accept the deal under the current terms if he were in the Oval Office.
“No, because we have nine Americans held hostage right now by Hamas [who] have been there for six weeks, including at least one child,” Phillips told CNN's Abby Phillip on Tuesday evening. “And by now, I would have expected American special forces to perhaps play a hand in extracting them. I think it’s absurd, shocking, and dismaying that six weeks later, we still have American hostages held by a terror organization in Gaza.”
Both Israel and Hamas officials said the deal will go into effect on Thursday. A Qatari statement said humanitarian aid trucks would be permitted in Gaza, delivering critical supplies including fuel. Qatar said it is committed “to ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, stop the bloodshed, and protect civilians,” and paid tribute to Egypt and the U.S. for assisting with the deal.
The deal comes after weeks of painstaking negotiations and media speculation about the specific conditions of the ceasefire.
“I think the American president has an obligation to extract Americans,” Phillips said. “It's been six weeks and I'm happy that some are being released, but every single American citizen should be part of that group. And if I were the American president, I would not agree to anything until every single one of them is released. I would demand it.”
Phillips said Hamas, which carried out attacks on Oct. 7 that resulted in more than 1,200 people in Israel killed, should have been addressed years ago. Phillips said the U.S. has allowed for “too much deference” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Phillips agreed there should be a ceasefire, but only after all hostages are released. In a statement last week, Phillips said the Israeli response "has taken an unacceptable toll on Palestinian civilians." More than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health authorities in Gaza.
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“I look at outcomes and facts and the fact of the matter is this cycle has been going on for the 50 years that Joe Biden has been in Washington,” Phillips said. “And by the way, the fact that Hamas is holding these hostages right now should have been addressed, I believe, years ago.”
“I think there's been too much deference to Netanyahu's right-wing government for too long,” Phillips said. "He is a big problem for the safety and security of Israel, and I hope Israelis make a change soon too.”