Some Hamas leaders are under US indictment and Washington believes they should be turned over to the United States, he said.The US had asked Qatar to close the Hamas offices in that country in a move to pressure the group to show flexibility in negotiations to secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages in Gaza.

The Biden administration's message follows reports that senior members of Hamas left Qatar for Turkey last week after Doha withdrew from its key role in efforts to broker an end to the war in Gaza.Vie

The Biden administration targeted Hamas with sanctions on Tuesday, blacklisting six leaders of the Iran-proxy militia on accusations they aided it in raising funds and smuggling weapons into Gaza.