Gaza US officials held several rounds of direct talks with Hamas leaders in Qatar since the start of the year, focusing on American hostages in Gaza while also addressing other topics such as the second phase of the ceasefire agreement,

Trump's statement came just hours after the White House confirmed it was holding direct talks with Hamas over the remaining hostages. Washington has until now avoided direct engagement with the group, and there is a longstanding US policy against having direct contact with entities it lists as terrorist organisations.

US President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to Hamas, warning that there will be "hell to pay" if all remaining captives are not released. He also suggested that he was sending Israel weapons to "finish the job".