Dean Phillips hits Biden over handling of Hamas hostages: ‘Absurd, shocking and dismaying’

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) bashed President Biden Tuesday for the recently negotiated hostage deal between the militant group Hamas and Israel.

“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, who is also challenging Biden for the 2024 Democratic nomination for president, said on CNN when asked if he would accept the current hostage deal.

“And by now, I would have expected American special forces to perhaps play a hand in extracting them,” Phillips continued. “I think it’s absurd, shocking and dismaying, that six weeks later, we still have American hostages held by a terror organization in Gaza.”

The hostage deal, which will go into effect Thursday, includes a temporary four-day cease-fire between Hamas and Israel and the release of 50 hostages by Hamas. It may also result in the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

“I welcome the deal to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist group Hamas during its brutal assault against Israel on October 7th,” Biden said in a statement Tuesday on the deal.

“Jill and I have been keeping all those held hostage and their loved ones close to our hearts these many weeks, and I am extraordinarily gratified that some of these brave souls, who have endured weeks of captivity and an unspeakable ordeal, will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented,” the president’s statement continued.

On Tuesday, the Israeli Cabinet approved the hostage deal. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said fighting will still occur after the cease-fire.

“We are at war, and we will continue the war,” he said in remarks translated from Hebrew. “We will continue the war until we achieve all our objectives: Eliminate Hamas, return all our abductees and missing persons and ensure that there will be no element in Gaza that threatens Israel.”