US President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to Hamas, warning that there will be "hell to pay" if all remaining captives are not released. He also suggested that he was sending Israel weapons to "finish the job".

Trump's statement came just hours after the White House confirmed it was holding direct talks with Hamas over the remaining hostages. Washington has until now avoided direct engagement with the group, and there is a longstanding US policy against having direct contact with entities it lists as terrorist organisations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not informed of the talks before they took place and was caught off guard, said one Israeli source with knowledge of the matter.