A senior US administration official said that American officials are making intense efforts to release the hostages held by the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, but there is no guarantee of the success of that effort or a time frame for achieving it.

The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, added that there is “indirect contact” aimed at finding a framework for removing the hostages from Gaza, but the matter is very difficult, according to what was reported by Reuters news agency.

Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, during which it managed to kill 1,400 people and take more than 240 hostage.

Many hostages are still inside Gaza, which is subject to Israeli air strikes and ground attacks, in addition to a siege imposed by the Israeli army.

The US official said it would require "a significant cessation of the conflict" to extract the hostages. He continued, "It is a matter that is subject to a very serious and active discussion... There is no agreement yet to actually accomplish this matter, but it is something that we are working on very seriously."

He added, "We are optimistic and are doing everything we can to get the hostages out, but there is no guarantee at all that this will happen or when it will happen."

He said, "We will do everything in our power to ensure the exit of all hostages of all nationalities from Gaza. Therefore, there is an active process taking place amid multidirectional efforts, including indirect communication, to try to reach a framework for the exit of the hostages from Gaza."

The official explained that the administration is also negotiating with Hamas about allowing foreign citizens trapped in the Strip safe passage out of Gaza. He said that the talks are difficult and include an effort by Hamas to remove some of its fighters.