Hamas holding up temporary truce by refusing to release sick, elderly and female hostages — US officials

Senior Biden administration officials briefing reporters say that Hamas is holding up a six-week ceasefire deal on the table with Israel by refusing to release the sick, elderly and female hostages that it is holding in Gaza.

“There could be at least a six-week ceasefire today if Hamas would agree to release a defined category of vulnerable hostages, including women, the elderly, the sick and the wounded,” says one of the officials, who all spoke on condition of anonymity. “The onus right now is on Hamas.”

“The fundamental element on [Hamas’s] side is releasing the sick, the elderly and the woman. That is right now the holdup,” a second official adds.

While there have been reports that Hamas has walked away from the talks in Cairo after they apparently hit a wall, the US officials insist that a deal is still possible and that they’re still working to reach one. “We see this as the path to get the hostages home,” one of them says.