Hamas has firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s latest ultimatum demanding the release of all Israeli captives held in Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reports.

The group has insisted that any release must be part of the ceasefire agreement signed in January, leading to a permanent end to the conflict, he adds.

“The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters,” Azzoum quoted a Hamas spokesperson as saying.

Azzoum adds that Israeli leaders have said they do not want to see Hamas in power and this has been widely welcomed by their American counterparts, who “continue to make more threats to gain leverage over Hamas”.

“Most people here believe the Israelis want to free the remaining captives with the possibility of then restarting the war on Gaza,” Azzoum reports.