Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in an interview with NDTV, stated bluntly, "Hamas will not release all the hostages, which is the only asset they still hold" unless it is guaranteed that the war is finished.

Hamas has urged mediators to intervene and put an end to such punitive measures by Israel against Gazans.

The three Israeli hostages freed by Hamas were each given a 'gift bag' to commemorate their 15-month captivity after they were captured during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israeli cities

The Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal was mediated by Qatar and US on Wed, however, was in limbo for more than a day as Netanyahu said there were last-minute snags.

The war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, which agreed a ceasefire, has killed tens of thousands of people and created a humanitarian disaster.

Negotiators are very near to concluding a ceasefire deal, which would see Hamas turn over 33 Israeli hostages in the final week of the Biden administration before next Monday, in the latest signal that an agreement could be near.