Nigeria, March 6 -- US President Donald Trump has given Hamas what he described as a "final warning" to release the Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

"Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you," Mr Trump said late Wednesday in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.

The President's statement comes just hours after the White House, in an unexpected move, confirmed it was holding direct talks with Hamas over the remaining hostages.

Until now, the US government had avoided direct engagement with the group. The country has a longstanding policy against direct contact with entities designated as terrorist organisations.

According to th...