US says Hamas making 'very bad bet' in Gaza talks

The White House has accused Hamas of making "entirely impractical" demands and stalling on a deal to release a US-Israeli hostage in exchange for an extension of the Gaza ceasefire.

"Hamas is making a very bad bet that time is on its side. It is not," a statement from the office of President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and the US National Security Council said.

"Hamas is well aware of the deadline, and should know that we will respond accordingly if that deadline passes," it said, adding that Trump had already vowed Hamas would "pay a severe price" for not freeing hostages.

Hamas said earlier it was ready to free an Israeli-American hostage and the remains of four others, after the Palestinian militants and Israel resumed indirect Gaza ceasefire negotiations.

Mr Witkoff presented a "bridge" proposal in Qatar on Wednesday to extend the first phase of the truce to mid-April if Hamas releases living hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

"Hamas was told in no uncertain terms that this 'bridge' would have to be implemented soon - and that dual US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander would have to be released immediately," the statement said.

"Unfortunately, Hamas has chosen to respond by publicly claiming flexibility while privately making demands that are entirely impractical without a permanent ceasefire," it added.

Israel had dismissed the offer from Hamas as "psychological warfare".

Hamas has said its exiled Gaza chief, Khalil Al-Hayya, was due to arrive in Cairo later this evening for further ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators.

Since a temporary first phase of the ceasefire expired on 2 March, Israel has rejected opening the second phase of talks, which would require it to negotiate over a permanent end to the war, the main demand of Hamas.

Israel says it wants to extend the ceasefire's temporary first phase, a proposal backed by Mr Witkoff. Hamas says it will resume freeing hostages only under the second phase.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu's office called the offer to release Alexander "manipulation and psychological warfare".

"While Israel has accepted the Witkoff proposal, Hamas stands by its refusal and has not budged a millimeter," his office added. It said he would convene with his cabinet on Saturday night to discuss the hostage situation and decide on the next steps.

Israel has imposed a total blockade of Gaza since the first phase of the ceasefire expired without an agreement to begin the second phase on 2 March.

Mr Witkoff told reporters at the White House early in March that gaining the release of Alexander was a "top priority". US hostage negotiator Adam Boehler met with Hamas leaders in recent days to seek Alexander's release.

Two Hamas officials told Reuters their agreement to release him and the four bodies was conditional on beginning the talks on the second phase of the ceasefire, opening crossings, and lifting the Israeli blockade.

"We are working with mediators for the agreement to succeed and to compel the occupation to conclude all phases of the agreement," Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua, the Hamas spokesperson, told Reuters.

"Hamas' approval to release Edan Alexander aims to push towards the conclusion of the phases of the agreement," said Mr Qanoua.

Underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire, Gaza medics said four Palestinians were killed by an Israeli air strike in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City.

Palestinian media said the four men had been collecting firewood needed for cooking in the absence of gas under the blockade. The Israeli military said it had struck several militants attempting to plant a bomb near its forces.

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The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have been trying to bridge the differences between the Islamic militant group and Israel to restart negotiations in order to release remaining hostages held in Gaza and lift the blockade.

The war began when Hamas carried out a cross-border raid in to southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's subsequent assault on the Gaza Strip has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and reduced much of the territory to rubble.

US, Israel look to Africa for resettling Palestinians from Gaza - report

Meanwhile, the US and Israel have contacted officials of three east African countries to discuss using their territories for resettling Palestinians from Gaza, the Associated Press has reported, citing US and Israeli officials.

Officials from Sudan, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somaliland were contacted regarding the proposal, the Associated Press reported, citing US and Israeli officials as sources.

However, Sudan officials said they rejected the proposal from the US and officials from Somalia and Somaliland said they were unaware of any contacts.

"I haven't received such a proposal, and there are no talks with anyone regarding Palestinians," Somaliland's Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adan said.

The White House and the US State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

The information ministers for Somalia and its breakaway region of Somaliland did not pick up Reuters' telephone calls for comment.

Earlier this month, Arab leaders adopted a $53bn (€48bn) Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza that would avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave, in contrast to Mr Trump's vision of a "Middle East riviera".

Mr Trump has proposed a US takeover of Gaza, where Israel's military assault in the last 17 months has killed tens of thousands, to reconstruct the destroyed enclave, after earlier suggesting that Palestinians should be permanently displaced.

Mr Trump's plan reinforced long-standing Palestinian fears of being permanently driven from their homes, and was met with widespread international rejection.