Axios quoted Israeli and American officials as saying they are concerned that the chances of reaching a swap deal in the Gaza Strip before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump next month are slim.

A source close to Trump told Axios that there is no plan for what to do if Trump's deadline for a deal is missed.

Israeli officials said Trump could back measures such as cutting aid if a swap deal is not reached, and a US source familiar with the talks said a deal was still possible within the next three weeks.

US and Israeli officials said that if the negotiations do not achieve results, they could be delayed for months due to the transition of power to Trump.

The White House accused Hamas of being the main obstacle to reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

• The White House said in a statement, "Hamas refuses to move to bridge the differences to reach an agreement, and we believe that we are close to reaching an agreement and will continue to work to achieve that."