Hamas will not release all of its hostages, forcing Israel to “pay a lot of money” through individual deals to free its citizens, a member of Israel’s negotiating team has said.

Israel believe that the hostages are spread across Gaza, held by individual families and gang members.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the negotiator said there was “no way on earth” the terror group would cut a deal to release all of the hostages taken on Oct 7.

“The hostages are the only cards left in the pack for the personal security of the leaders of Hamas and their families.”

Even if Hamas did agree to a deal to release all of the captives “they will cheat”, they added.

“They’ll pretend to have suddenly found others and claim they didn’t know about them.”

Talks between Israel and Hamas continue to be mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar but just 60 of more than 136 hostages left in Gaza are believed to be alive, the hostage team member and intelligence expert said.

“The gap between the sides is so enormous that it’s unbridgeable and impossible to think that they’ll release everyone,” he said.

“The only way to release them all is if Israel puts up a white flag and surrenders and allows Hamas to stay in power but this won’t happen as that will be the end of Israel’s existence.”

‘Free passage out’ in return for hostages

Hostages have been spread across Gaza and are being held by individual families and gang members.

“The only way to try and release them all is by cutting small deals with those who actually are holding them,” the source said, without going into detail for fear of jeopardising ongoing operations. “We presume about 60 are alive, but kept in different places.

“We should try to cut deals with those captors directly, allow them and their families free passage out of Gaza and of course, give them a lot of money while keeping the pressure on the leadership as much as we can.”

Last week, Israel boycotted talks in Cairo after Hamas refused to hand over a list of the surviving hostages.

Over 250 people were taken hostage on Oct 7 when thousands of Hamas militia stormed Israel killing at least 1,200 mostly civilians. Since then, 112 have been freed in deals through which 240 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli jails, most of whom were imprisoned on terror charges.

Over 31,000 Gazans have been killed in the war by Israel, and famine and disease threaten further deaths.

On Saturday night, David Barnea, Israel’s intelligence chief, made a rare statement after he met with William Burns, the director of the CIA.

“At this stage, Hamas is holding to its position as if it was uninterested in a deal,” he said. “It should be emphasised that the contacts and cooperation with the mediators are ongoing in an effort to narrow the gaps and advance agreements.”

The negotiator added: “Hamas as an army doesn’t exist any more, it has no communications, no control over the units, it’s all very sporadic. If we didn’t have the hostages it would have been the end game for Hamas. The hostages block us in operations in many ways to wipe out Hamas completely.”

Israel urges UN Security Council to pressure Hamas on hostages

Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Monday demanded the United Nations Security Council "put as much pressure as possible" on Palestinian militants Hamas to release the people it took hostage during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Katz addressed the 15-member council, which met to discuss a U.N. report that found there were "reasonable grounds to believe" sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred at several locations during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

"We are asking you to condemn the sexual violence crimes these barbarians committed in the name of the Muslim religion," Katz told the Security Council, also urging the body "to put as much pressure as possible on the Hamas organization to release immediately and unconditionally all the kidnapped hostages."

He called for sanctions to be imposed on Hamas, accusing the group of crimes "worse then the terror actions carried out by al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terror organizations" who had been targeted by the Security Council.

The Security Council has called for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages in resolutions adopted in November and December. It is currently considering a U.S.-drafted resolution that includes a condemnation of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas "as well as its taking and killing of hostages, murder of civilians, and sexual violence including rape."

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield urged council members to condemn Hamas.

"There can be no doubt about what happened on October 7th. The evidence before us is damning and devastating. Now, the only question is: How will we respond? Will this council finally, finally, finally condemn Hamas' sexual violence? Or will we continue to stay silent?" she asked the Security Council.

Hamas killed 1,200 people and seized 253 hostages on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has retaliated by launching an air and ground assault on Hamas in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 31,000 people, health authorities in Gaza say.

Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour accused Israel in the Security Council of pursuing the "forcible displacement of our people by making Gaza unlivable."

'It's either Israel or Hamas': Netanyahu defends planned assault on Rafah. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday defended his plan to expand Israel's military offensive into the southern city of Rafah while his defense minister warned Hamas not to test Israel's resolve during Ramadan.

Netanyahu dismissed the objections of President Joe Biden and other world leaders over invading Rafah, saying he doesn't want to leave "a quarter of the Hamas terror army in place."

Netanyahu, speaking on Fox News' Fox and Friends, said Hamas must be defeated completely or the militant group will regroup, regain control of Gaza and repeat the Oct. 7 rampage that killed almost 1,200 people and saw about 250 hostages seized.

More than 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah, on the southern border with Egypt, as Israel storms through Gaza. Biden agrees Hamas must be destroyed but wants to ensure the safe departure of civilians from Rafah. "Before we go in, we agree with that," Netanyahu said.

"Look, it's either Israel or Hamas. There is no middle way," Netanyahu said. "We can't leave a quarter of the Hamas terror army in place. They're there in Rafah. This would be equivalent to saying, you know, after the Allies fought back, gone through Normandy, went through Germany, and you'd say, well, we'll leave a quarter of the Nazi army in place and we won't go into Berlin, the last stronghold."

Developments:

∎ Mahjoob Zweiri, a professor at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera the U.S. pressured Israel not to tighten access restrictions at East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest, in the West Bank during Ramadan. “If the Israelis do not listen to the Americans, West Bank is likely to become another Gaza in a matter of months," Zweiri warned.

∎ Israeli troops and security forces arrested 20 wanted people in what was described as a counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank. The Israeli military said 3,500 suspects have been arrested in the West Bank since the war began, over 1,500 of them associated with Hamas.

∎ The U.S., France, Jordan, Egypt and Belgium conducted a total of seven airdrops of humanitarian assistance into Gaza on Monday, Reuters reported, including more than 27,000 meals and nearly 26,000 bottles of water by American forces into the devastated northern part of the territory.

∎ The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 25 people, mostly children, have died from malnutrition and dehydration in northern Gaza.

∎ Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani dismissed U.S. efforts to airdrop aid as “merely symbolic" and part of the U.S. attempt to justify providing Israel with weapons being used in Gaza.

Israel touts 'successes,' hints at killing Hamas leaders

Israeli officials are hinting their forces have killed some of Hamas' top leaders, including two among the highest ranks.

The Israel Defense Forces said Monday it targeted Marwan Issa − Hamas' No. 2 military commander and one of the masterminds of the Oct. 7 attacks − in a Saturday airstrike on an underground compound he uses in central Gaza. "We are still assessing the results of the strike and will inform the public of them when we are certain,'' the IDF said in a statement.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant seemed to suggest the mission had been accomplished when he said Monday, “There have been successes, including in recent days, and there will be more successes. The operations are persistent and headed in the right direction.”

Also Monday, Netanyahu said Israel had killed “Hamas’ No. 4” without naming him. It appeared to be an acknowledgement of the assassination of Saleh Arouri, the deputy political head of Hamas and a founder of the group’s military wing, who was killed in an explosion in Beirut in January. Israel had not claimed responsibility for that attack.

“Three, two, and one are on the way. They are all dead men,'' Netanyahu said. "We will reach them all.”

Airstrikes kill 11 in Yemen days after deadly Houthi attack

Air attacks believed to be launched by U.S. and British forces killed at least 11 people and injured 14 Monday in port cities and small towns in western Yemen, Reuters reported, citing a spokesperson for the Yemeni government.

The airstrikes come five days after three crew members were killed in a Houthi missile strike on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, the latest in a series of assaults on commercial shipping by the Yemen rebels and the first deadly one.

Previous joint military responses by the U.S. and U.K. have not deterred the Iran-backed Houthis, who say their attacks on vessels in the busy Red Sea corridor are meant to support Palestinians in battered Gaza.

The principal port city of Hodeidah was among those hit Monday in a barrage of at least 17 airstrikes, Reuters reported.

Israeli military issues warning as Ramadan begins

The beginning of the holy month of Ramadan prompted fasting and worship by Muslims around the world Monday, but it brought no end to the death and destruction caused by the war in the Gaza Strip despite intense efforts by the U.S. and other nations to broker a cease-fire.

Palestinians prayed amid rubble and fear after talks stalled over Israel's resolve to crush Hamas and the militant group's demands for an end to Israel's offensive and the withdrawal of all its troops from Gaza. Hamas has called for stepped-up resistance, drawing a warning from Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

"I say to everyone who is thinking of trying us this month − we are ready. Don't make mistakes," he said.

Biden issued a statement acknowledging that Ramadan has arrived "at a moment of immense pain" in the enclave as the death toll surpasses 31,000 while almost 2 million remain displaced. He said the U.S. will continue leading the effort to increase humanitarian aid while "working nonstop" to broker a peace agreement.

"As Muslims gather around the world over the coming days and weeks to break their fast, the suffering of the Palestinian people will be front of mind for many," Biden said. "It is front of mind for me."

Jordan warns of possible 'explosion' at Islamic holy site

Any restrictions imposed by Israel on Muslim worshippers’ access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the Muslim fasting month could result in an "explosion," Jordan Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned Monday. Video posted on social media Sunday night appeared to show Israeli border police clashing with worshippers, and police saying they were working to "enable freedom of worship (while) ensuring safety and security."

Israel announced last week it would not reduce the number of worshippers allowed to pray at the site, one of Islam's three holiest, for at least a week while monitoring security. The mosque is part of Temple Mount, the holiest place in Judaism where two biblical Temples once stood.

No damage reported from latest attack on Red Sea shipping

An explosion took place near a ship in the Red Sea on Monday, but the ship's master said no one was hurt, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The attack likely came from the Yemen-based Houthi rebels who have been targeting ships, claiming support for Palestinians in Gaza. The private security firm Ambrey said the incident may have involved a missile, but few details were available and the Houthis issued no immediate statement.

A Houthi missile struck the commercial ship True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden last week, killing three of its crew members and forcing survivors to abandon ship. It was the first fatal strike since the attacks began in November.

Burns says cease-fire is needed to help starving children in Gaza

CIA director Bill Burns said Monday that reaching a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza is critical to addressing the massive humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

“The reality is that there are children who are starving,” Burns said during the Senate’s worldwide threats hearing on Capitol Hill. “They're malnourished as a result of the fact that humanitarian assistance can't get to them. It's very difficult to distribute humanitarian assistance effectively unless you have a ceasefire.”

The remarks from Burns, who has been representing the U.S. in negotiations between Israel and Hamas to pause fighting and release the remaining hostages, were some of the strongest yet offered by intelligence officials since Hamas attacked Israel in October, prompting the counteroffensive. They come as the Biden administration is under increasing pressure to push Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, and after the Israel’s prime minister dismissed the idea that Gazans were starving in an interview this past weekend.

The aid world has for months warned of an impending famine in Gaza. And U.N. officials said last week that atleast one-quarter of Gaza’s population are one step away from reaching that grim milestone.Burns said a pause in fighting is critical to not only ensuring the swift delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza but also to securing the release of the hostages — something the director is actively working to address with officials in Israel, Egypt and Qatar.

The CIA director returned home from the region Saturday night — his eighth trip to try and negotiate an end to the fighting in Gaza. He said the parties are trying to broker a deal for a six-week cease-fire in Gaza that would allow for the release of 40 hostages as well as Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel.

Under intense questioning by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) about whether he believed Israel was “exterminating the Palestinian people” Burns said he understood “Israel’s need to respond” to the attack by Hamas.

“But I think we all also have to be mindful of the enormous toll this has taken on innocent civilians in Gaza,” he said.

The wide-ranging hearing Monday, which came in conjunction with the publishing of the Director of National Intelligence’s annual threats report, touched on some of the most critical national security issues facing U.S. policymakers.

It included multiple officials from the intelligence community, including Burns, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Chris Wray, the director of the FBI.

In the hearing, intelligence community officials urged Congress to pass additional funding for Ukraine, warned about China, Russia, and Iran using artificial intelligence to interfere in U.S. elections and defended the use of a controversial digital surveillance authority to collect data on foreign individuals.

But the fighting in Gaza was touched on by multiple officials.

Haines said the conflict in Gaza will likely have a “generational impact on terrorism.” More than 1,200 Israelis were killed during the Oct. 7 attack. Since then, about 30,000 Gazans have been killed, according to the Hamas health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas.

Haines’ remarks echo those made by intelligence officials in the weeks after the attack.

National Counterterrorism Center director Christy Abizaid, told Congress in November that Oct. 7 was inspiring terrorists across the globe. While Abizaid said most of the threats posed by those groups were focused on U.S troops in the Middle East, the FBI’s Wray noted in the same hearing he was also concerned about threats against the homeland.

Wray reiterated those warnings Monday.

“Even before Oct. 7, I would have told this committee that we were at a heightened threat level from a terrorism perspective,” Wray said, referring to the possibility of a terrorist attack in the U.S. “Since Oct. 7, though, that threat has gone to a whole other level. And so this is a time I think for much greater vigilance.”

Wray said he was particularly concerned about people entering the country and committing crimes after crossing, including violent crimes.

“We are concerned about the terrorism implications from potential targeting of vulnerabilities at the border,” he said.

In the hearing, officials also addressed the strikes by Iran-backed Houthis in the shipping vessels in the Red Sea — attacks the group says are in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

Iran proxy militant groups in Iraq and Syria have largely stopped attacking U.S. troops in recent weeks in part, officials believe, because of U.S. counterstrikes. But Haines said despite U.S. and UK air bombardments in Yemen, the Houthis continue to launch shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

Intelligence officials have previously calculated that the Houthis would continue their campaign as long as the war continued in Gaza. But Israel has shown no indications that it is considering winding down its operations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the military would soon invade Rafah – where more than 1 million people are living – in an effort to target Hamas leadership and the group’s tunnel network.

Biden Warns Netanyahu Not to Attack Rafah as Ramadan Begins

 US President Joe Biden warned Israel against attacking the city of Rafah in southern Gaza as cease-fire talks with Hamas remained deadlocked at the beginning of Ramadan.

The US hoped for a breakthrough before Islam’s holy month, which began after sundown on Sunday. A deal would probably lead to a six-week pause in fighting, the freeing of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Negotiations remain at an impasse, however, with Israel accusing Hamas of stalling in a bid to inflame violence across the region during Ramadan, and Hamas saying more Israeli hostages had died in captivity than earlier believed.

Israel has said that, barring a total surrender by Hamas, it has to launch an assault on Rafah because it’s the last bastion of the Iran-backed group. Israeli military officials estimate 5,000 to 8,000 Hamas fighters are holed up there. Israel’s indicated it would be prepared to move into the city during Ramadan if there’s no truce.

More than a million Palestinian civilians are also sheltering in Rafah, most of them having fled from northern parts of Gaza at the start of the war in October.

In an interview with MSNBC on Saturday, Biden expressed hope that a cease-fire can still be reached and warned that an Israeli invasion of Rafah would represent a “red line.”

Read More: Why Rafah Is Raising Fears in Israel-Hamas War: QuickTake

Previously, he said an offensive couldn’t happen until Israel allowed civilians to leave. Netanyahu has pledged that will happen. On Sunday, he reiterated that Israel plans to move forces in at some stage.

“We’ll go there,” he said in an interview with Axel Springer, Politico’s parent company. “I have a red line. You know what the red line is — that October 7 doesn’t happen again.”

The war has been raging since Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and abducted 250 during their Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel.

More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israel’s retaliatory air and ground attacks, according to officials in the Hamas-run territory. Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union.

Biden’s comments came as the US military began sending supplies to Gaza by sea and building a temporary dock to deliver large quantities of aid. Ships will carry food, water, medicine and other supplies to the Mediterranean enclave, which has been devastated by the war. In his State of the Union address on Thursday, Biden called the situation in Gaza “heartbreaking.”

Most aid has gone into Gaza on trucks through the Egyptian border. Some countries, including the US and Jordan, are carrying out air drops too.

The move to open a maritime corridor comes as the US and Arab states criticize Israel — which inspects all goods going into Gaza in case they include military supplies for Hamas — for not allowing trucks in quickly enough.

Read more: Hopes Fade of Gaza Cease-Fire Before Ramadan After Failed Talks

The president, in a statement released to mark the beginning of Ramadan, said the US will lead international efforts to get aid into Gaza.

“We’ll continue to work with Israel to expand deliveries by land, insisting that it facilitate more routes and open more crossings to get more aid to more people,” he said.

The only truce so far lasted a week and ended on Dec. 1. During that, dozens of hostages were released from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

“We cannot have another 30,000 Palestinians dead,” Biden said on MSNBC, adding that Netanyahu “must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken.”

“He is hurting Israel more than helping Israel,” Biden added, in some of the harshest criticism he’s leveled against the Israeli leader.

“I don’t know exactly what the president meant,” Netanyahu said in the Axel Springer interview. “But if he meant by that that I’m pursuing private policies against the majority — the wish of the majority of Israelis — and that this is hurting the interests of Israel, then he’s wrong on both counts.”

Biden said he would never cut off weapon supplies to Israel and affirmed Israel’s right to fight Hamas.

Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, which is handling the cease-fire and hostage negotiations, said talks were ongoing to “narrow the gaps” with Hamas. Still, it sounded pessimistic a deal would be struck soon.

“Hamas is holding to its position as if it was uninterested in a deal and is striving to ignite the region during Ramadan at the expense of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip,” Mossad said in a statement.

Hamas is believed to be holding about 130 Israeli hostages. It’s unclear how many are still alive.

In an interview with Bloomberg, a Hamas official called Husam Badran said at least 60 hostages had died because of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. The claim couldn’t be independently verified.