White House officials announced on Tuesday that a US official was in Doha to discuss the possibility of a second deal to secure the release of the hostages in the Gaza Strip.
The US also seeks to talk with Hamas and Qatari officials to request a ceasefire.
US Negotiate With Doha to Release Hamas Hostages
Brett McGurk, Special US presidential envoy to the coalition against the Islamic State group (IS), speaks during a press conference on the latest efforts to defeat the jihadist organisation on March 5, 2016 at the US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
National Security Council (NSC) Spokesman John Kirby told reporters during a virtual press briefing that US Middle East Envoy Brett McGurk engaged in very serious and intensive discussions with Qatari officials about the release of the hostages in the Gaza Strip.
"We are hopeful it will bear fruit and bear fruit soon," Kirby said.
The discussions would improve the Biden administration's image on the issue of Israel's military invasion of the Gaza Strip, which killed 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages.
According to Hamas officials, at least 24,285 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed in Gaza in Israeli bombardments and ground operations since October 7.
The Independent reported that Hamas still has numerous hostages in the Gaza Strip, and several Americans are believed to be among those held by the militants.
Previously, some hostages were freed during a temporary ceasefire arranged by the Qataris. Israel reported that around 25 people have been killed in captivity, with Hamas and the Israeli government trading blame for their deaths.
On Monday, Hamas released a video in which one hostage reads from a script and claims that two others have been killed, blaming an Israeli strike.
Meanwhile, Kirby celebrated an important announcement from Israel that it would wind down the intense phase of the conflict that raised tensions throughout the Middle East.
The removal of a division of Israeli military troops from Gaza was a "positive step forward in terms of getting to lower intensity ops," he said. He added that additional aid might be distributed to Gaza if Israeli strikes were less aggressive.
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Biden Administration's Rocky Relationship With Israel
Progressives in the US have been criticizing the Israeli military's random demolition of entire city blocks around the Gaza Strip. The federal government is also organizing a strike to express its disapproval this week.
Arab-American groups and Progressives in the US have been furious with the administration for months, accusing Biden of only addressing the suffering of Palestinian citizens under Israeli siege.
Biden's relationship with Israel remains at the top of the list of his problems. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Biden's current relationship was described as frosty.
He abruptly hung up on his Israeli counterpart last year, ending their regular direct communication. Furthermore, Biden administration officials have been working overtime to improve the public's opinion of their efforts.
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