Biden Adds to Pressure on Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again was dismissive on Monday of calls to do more to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, though this time one of the voices came from the White House lawn. Netanyahu did not yield to demands for an immediate ceasefire despite pressure including work stoppages across Israel and a UK move limiting arms exports. At one point in a press conference, per the AP, Netanyahu said: "No one is more committed to freeing the hostages than me. But no one will preach to me." Developments include:

• Biden's "No": Asked by reporters after he landed at the White House in Marine One whether Netanyahu was doing enough to reach a deal for the hostages' return, President Biden answered, "No." He then went inside for a Situation Room meeting on the issue that included Vice President Kamala Harris and officials involved in the Gaza ceasefire talks, the New York Times reports.
• Next US moves: Biden is considering presenting Israel and Hamas with a final proposal for an agreement this week, per NBC News. A White House readout shows Biden expressed anger in the meeting at the killing of six hostages and stressed the need to hold Hamas accountable. The group planned consultations with mediators Qatar and Egypt.

• Netanyahu digs in: In his first press conference since the killings, the prime minister stuck to his plans for a continued Israeli presence on Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border, a stance that has been blamed for delaying an agreement, per the Washington Post. Yielding after the hostage killings, Netanyahu said, would send Hamas the message: "Slay hostages and you'll get concessions." Asked when he would consider the war over, per the Times, Netanyahu said, "When Hamas no longer rules Gaza."
• UK decision: Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced Monday that the UK is suspending the export of some arms to Israel because of the risk that the weapons would be used in arms might be used in "serious violation of international humanitarian law." About about 30 out of 350 arms arms export licenses are affected, per the Post, including the sales of components for military aircraft including fighter aircraft, helicopters, and drones.
• Domestic pressure: In the biggest such action of the war against Hamas, schools, local governments, hospitals, and transport networks slowed or stopped operations Monday in protest of Netanyahu's government. The labor strike stopped at 2:30pm after more than eight hours, when a court decreed the labor leaders had provided insufficient notice of the stoppage.
• Hostage video: Hamas released what it said was a video of Eden Yerushalmi, one of the slain hostages, recorded before her slaying. It was not clear why.

(More Israel-Hamas war stories.)