Officials familiar with the talks said that Qatar and Egypt informed Hamas leaders in recent days that they face the possibility of detention, asset freezes, sanctions, and expulsion from their refuge in Doha if they do not agree to a ceasefire with Israel.

These threats were made at the request of the Biden administration, which is seeking a way to convince a group designated by the United States as a terrorist organization to reach an agreement needed by the president amid a political whirlpool concerning the war, which has had the opposite effect intended.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the movement in exile in Qatar, stated that he would not agree to a deal that does not meet the movement's conditions after these threats were issued.

Haniyeh, holding a message from the movement's top leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, said the current proposal—which was presented by President Biden himself in a press conference a week ago—is unacceptable to Hamas because, in the movement's view, it does not guarantee an end to the war.

Hamas' response is the latest stumbling block to Biden's efforts to revive long-stalled negotiations for an agreement that would stop the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Biden urged the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in a phone call on Monday, to "use all appropriate measures to ensure Hamas accepts the agreement," according to a statement from the White House.

U.S. officials stated that they had not received a final answer from Hamas regarding the revived ceasefire proposal, and National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said, "We are still waiting for an official response from Hamas," adding, "We have seen some public comments, but we do not take them as official or confirmatory in any way."

The war in Gaza has resulted in the death of over 36,000 Palestinians and has reduced a large part of the coastal enclave to rubble, with Palestinian health officials stating that most of the dead are civilians, although the figures do not specify the number of combatants killed. Israeli authorities stated that Israel launched its war on the Gaza Strip in response to a Hamas attack inside Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, most of whom were civilians, while the armed group and its allies captured about 240 hostages.

The war has heightened political pressure on Biden, who faces opposition from within his party due to the continued U.S. supply of weapons being used by Israel to bomb Gaza, and criticism from Republicans over his pressure on Israel to reduce civilian casualties.

Biden attempted to break the deadlock in ceasefire negotiations last week when he delivered a speech outlining what he described as an Israeli proposal for a three-phase agreement that would free the hostages, which he said is part of an effort to achieve a "lasting end to the war."

Biden described Hamas as "the only obstacle to a complete ceasefire."

The talks have reached an impasse due to issues that have hindered negotiations for months, with Hamas demanding a guaranteed end to the war, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu states that he seeks to destroy Hamas's military and governance capabilities, refusing to accept a permanent truce until these goals are achieved.

This week, Hamas objected to the language used in the written version of the latest ceasefire proposal, which the Wall Street Journal reviewed.

The plan diminishes the possibility of achieving a permanent ceasefire, which they say will depend on conducting negotiations in the first phase of the agreement. The proposal repeatedly mentions "sustainable calm."

A minor difference in wording has become a sticking point, especially after Netanyahu responded to Biden's speech by reiterating that Israel would not accept a ceasefire without destroying Hamas's military and governance capabilities, a goal that some Israeli and American military and intelligence officials believe is likely to be elusive even after eight months of fighting.

Hamas stated in a statement on Wednesday: "There is a gap between what is mentioned in the paper and Biden's statements, leading to confusion and debate."

Senior U.S. officials, including William Burns, the CIA Director, traveled to the Middle East this week in an attempt to advance Biden's initiative, with Burns holding talks with the Qatari Prime Minister and the Egyptian intelligence chief in Doha.

Burns asked Qatari and Egyptian officials to inform Haniyeh that international mediators would ensure that negotiations for a permanent ceasefire would begin in the third week of the first phase of the deal, and that the terms for a permanent truce would be agreed upon by the fifth week of the initial phase of the deal, according to officials familiar with the talks. These terms are part of the written ceasefire proposal.