US weighing unilateral hostage deal with Hamas: Report

United States officials are weighing whether to strike a unilateral deal with Hamas to free five American hostages in Gaza if a ceasefire deal is not reached, according to a report by NBC news.

The report, citing two current and two former US officials, said the administration is considering using Qatar to negotiate with Hamas in talks that would not include Israel.

The deliberations come more than one week after US President Joe Biden announced a three-phase ceasefire proposal that he said would end the war on Gaza and lead to a hostage exchange.

But the deal has stalled with Hamas saying the agreement as laid out by Biden doesn't guarantee the war on Gaza will end. For its part, Israel said it will continue to wage war on Gaza until it destroys Hamas's governing and military capabilities in the besieged enclave.

Read more: US weighing unilateral hostage deal with Hamas: Report