The White House announced on Sunday, on behalf of US President Donald Trump, the president's support for Israel's decision to postpone the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.

The White House claimed that this came in response to the "brutal treatment" of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

"The postponement of the release of prisoners is an appropriate response to Hamas' actions," National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement.

He also said that "US President Donald Trump is ready to support Israel in any path it chooses regarding the armed Palestinian movement."

For his part, Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi said on Sunday that the movement will not hold any talks with Israel through mediators (Egypt and Qatar) regarding any step before the release of the Palestinian prisoners who were agreed to be released yesterday, Saturday.

Mardawi added, in a statement published on the Telegram platform, stressing that "there will be no talk with the enemy through mediators in any step before the release of the prisoners agreed upon to be released in exchange for the 6 Israeli prisoners (released on Saturday and 4 bodies on Thursday)."

He added: "The mediators must oblige the enemy to implement the agreement."

During Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, handed over 10 Israeli prisoners, including 6 living ones, to the International Committee of the Red Cross to be delivered to Tel Aviv as part of an agreement stipulating that Israel release 620 Palestinian prisoners from its prisons.

Despite Hamas fulfilling its pledge under the agreement, Israel did not release the Palestinian prisoners.

On Sunday morning, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in a statement that the decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners would continue until the next batch was released, without what it described as “humiliating decrees.”

Netanyahu's office claimed that "Hamas deliberately insults the dignity of the prisoners and exploits them to promote political goals."

US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday he would travel to the region in the coming days to try to negotiate an extension of the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas, which is due to expire at the end of the week.

“We have to get an extension to Phase One, so I’ll be going to the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that,” Witkoff told CNN, later telling CBS that his trip would include stops in Qatar, Egypt, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

This was the first time the Trump administration had publicly stated its goal of extending the first phase, amid growing speculation that this was Israel’s preference, given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government’s aversion to even negotiating the terms of the second phase, let alone implementing it.

For his part, Witkoff has spoken of his desire to implement the second phase of the agreement, but he and other US officials have increasingly defended Israel's right to resume the war against Hamas, as disgust in Washington with the terrorist group has reached a fever pitch.

“We hope to have the appropriate time … to start phase two, to finish it and release more hostages,” Trump’s top aide said Sunday. “We will get to phase two … I think that will happen.”