U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to secure a deal for the release of hostages taken by Palestinian armed group Hamas. 

Asked by reporters at the White House if he thought the Israeli leader was doing enough on the issue, Biden, who had arrived for a meeting with U.S. negotiators, said, "No."

He did not elaborate. 

Biden's meeting with the negotiators on the hostage-release deal comes after the deaths of six captives in Gaza, including an American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, on Saturday.

The president said negotiators were "very close" to a final proposal to be presented to Israel and Hamas. 

Biden's fresh criticism of Netanyahu comes as he and Vice President Kamala Harris face increased calls for decisive action to end the nearly 11-month-old conflict in Gaza. The United States, along with fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar, has spent months pushing for a hostage-prisoner exchange and ceasefire in Gaza.

(With input from agencies)