"The yellow ribbons and dog tags that some members of Congress chose to wear in honor of the hostages are a powerful reminder that those captured by Hamas are not forgotten."
Ceasefire hopes between Israel and Hamas fade as Ramadan approaches, with tensions high, and international pressure mounts on Israel amid concerns of escalating violence and a humanitarian crisis.
Hamas senior official: It is now in the hands of the Americans if they are serious about achieving a ceasefire before Ramadan.
A proposed deal from the start of Ramadan on March 10 and 11 includes a 40-day pause in all military operations and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages at a ratio of 10 to one.
After a little over 20 weeks, Israel's ground offensive has killed approximately 30,000 Gazans. This led activist Hunter Schafer to protest the US's continued support of Israel in the ongoing war.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday said it was not clear yet whether a hostage deal would materialize from ongoing talks.
The US wants Israel to succeed in destroying Hamas, he said, but it also must ensure the protection of civilians as it does so, including in Rafah.
Qatar and France brokered a deal with Israel and Hamas last month on the delivery of urgent medication to hostages held by the terror group in Gaza.
Hamas has suspended all Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal negotiations until humanitarian aid is brought into the northern part of the Strip.
The Israeli delegation, headed by Mossad director David Barnea and Shin Bet director Ronan Bar, landed in Cairo for hostage negotiations on Tuesday morning.