Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Friday, November 17, 2023
From the Liveblog of
Friday, November 17, 2023
Biden presses Qatari emir on ‘urgent need’ for hostages’ release ‘without further delay’
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani waits for the arrival of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Lusail, Qatar, October 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool, File)
US President Joe Biden held another call earlier today with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and pressed him the “urgent need” for the roughly 240 hostages “to be released without further delay,” the White House says, intensifying its rhetoric regarding the imperativeness of the issue.
During last night’s war cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu phoned Biden and urged him to pressure Qatar’s emir to expand the number of hostages to include in the deal being negotiated by Doha between Israel and Hamas, Channel 12 reported earlier tonight.
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