According to a report by CNN, Hamas has indicated its inability to identify and locate the 40 Israeli hostages required for the initial phase of a ceasefire deal.
The terrorist group reportedly informed international mediators that they lacked enough captives who fit the criteria for an agreement that would initiate a six-week pause in their conflict with Israel.
This development follows purported proposals by CIA Director Bill Burns on Monday, suggesting that Hamas releases 40 female, sick, and elderly male hostages in exchange for 900 Palestinians held by Israel.
Israel, in response, urged the terrorist group to provide younger men, including soldiers, to fulfill their end of the proposed deal.
Hamas had seized over 240 hostages on October 7 during an attack on Israel. While roughly 100 of them were released in November during a temporary truce, Israel delivered nearly 250 Palestinian prisoners.
The US government has been pressuring both sides to accept a ceasefire agreement, with President Joe Biden altering his stance toward the conflict in light of Israel's recent strikes on civilians.
Israel has announced plans to enter Rafah, a southern city in the Gaza Strip with a population of 1.4 million people as of February, according to a United Nations estimate.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Monday, "We are working all the time to achieve our goals, primarily the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas."
Biden cautioned Netanyahu on Thursday that US support would depend on Israel's ability to take "specific," "concrete," and "measurable" steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and aid workers' safety.
The United Nations passed a resolution last month demanding a ceasefire, with the US being the sole abstaining vote. US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that the nation's support was "not simply rhetorical" and called on the Security Council to demand unequivocally that Hamas accepts the deal on the table.
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