US officials are making intense efforts to gain the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, but there is no guarantee of success or a timeframe, a senior Biden administration official has said.

According to Reuters, the official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said there is “indirect engagement” aimed at finding a way to get the hostages out but that the work was extremely difficult.

The official said it would require a “very significant pause in the conflict” to get the hostages out.

“It is something that is under a very serious and active discussion… There is no agreement as of yet to actually get this done, but it’s something we’re working on extremely hard,” he said.