US President Donald Trump has said that Washington is engaged in “very deep” negotiations with the Palestinian group, Hamas, and urged the group to release all hostages in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reports.

“We are in very deep negotiations with Hamas,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “If you don’t let them (hostages) all out, it’s going to be a tough situation. It’s going to be nasty.”

“I think of the 20, there could be some that have recently died, is what I’m hearing. I hope that’s wrong,” he said. “There are 20 people, maybe a little less, but there are 20 people that we want out. We want the bodies.”