Israel-Hamas war latest: Biden adds to pressure on Netanyahu to reach cease-fire deal

U.S. President Joe Biden is adding to the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he isn’t doing enough to reach a cease-fire deal in Gaza.

A general strike in Israel to protest the failure to reach a deal and secure the return of hostages led to closures and other disruptions around Israel on Monday, but it was ignored in some areas, reflecting deep political divisions.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets Sunday in grief and anger after six hostages were found dead in Gaza. The families and much of the public blamed Netanyahu, saying they could have been returned alive in a deal with Hamas to end the nearly 11-month-old war.

But others support Netanyahu’s strategy of maintaining military pressure on Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack into Israel triggered the war. They say it will force the militants to give in to Israeli demands and ultimately annihilate the group.

Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut, called for the general strike, the first since the start of the war. It aimed to shut down or disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, health care and the country’s main airport. But a court ruled it had to end early after the government called the strike politically motivated.

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