Lame-duck President Biden rounded on an Israeli TV reporter Tuesday after the correspondent asked whether Biden believed an agreement to free dozens of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip is possible before he leaves office in January
“President Biden, do you think we can get a hostage deal by the end of your term?” Israel Channel 13’s Neria Kraus asked Biden, 81, ahead of his meeting with Isaac Herzog, president of the Jewish state.
“Do you think you can keep from getting hit in the head by a — a camera behind you?” snapped an irritated-looking Biden in response.
Kraus caught the moment on video and appeared to hold back laughter as Biden pivoted to his Oval Office meeting with Herzog, whom he hailed as “a personal friend.”
The outgoing president has a history of lashing out at reporters who pepper him with questions he doesn’t like.
Back in May, for instance, Biden asked a reporter who queried whether he intended to serve out a full second term: “Did you fall on your head or something?”
The president dropped his bid for re-election weeks later, on July 21.
Biden and his administration have long pursued a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas while seeking to bring an end to the fighting in the Gaza Strip.
They were particularly keen on achieving that before the Nov. 5 presidential election, hoping it could ail some of the divisions within the progressive movement over the Israel-Hamas war.
At times, Biden has publicly expressed optimism that a deal could be reached, and at others, he’s publicly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not doing enough on that front.
The administration has since become much more forceful in faulting Hamas for scuttling attempts at a deal.
“Hamas has said no,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“What we need to do is get the rest of the world to continue to increase pressure on Hamas to come to the table, to do a deal in Gaza, because the Israeli government has said it’s prepared to take a temporary step in that direction.”
Last month, Israeli forces took out notorious Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the refugee-dense southern Gazan city of Rafah. Biden hailed the killing of Sinwar as the removal of an “insurmountable obstacle to achieving all of those goals.”
In the Oval Office, Herzog brought up the remaining hostages that are still held by Hamas.
“In Gaza, we have 101 hostages. Over 400 days, I know, Mr. President, that you are day-in, day-out, actively seeking their safe return home as they are going through hell in the dungeons of Gaza,” he said.
“Clearly, you’re thinking and working about the day after as well, which perhaps should be a trajectory of hope to the people of the region and the ability to have our neighbors, as well as us, live in security and peace,” he added. “But first and foremost, we have to get the hostages back home.”
