U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington is engaged in “very intense negotiations” with Hamas over a possible prisoner exchange, insisting on the immediate release of all Israeli captives held in Gaza.

Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump responded to a question about the ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza, saying: “We are in very intense negotiations with Hamas.”

He added that the U.S. made it clear to the group that freeing the captives would lead to “much better things,” warning that failure to do so would make the situation “very bad.”

According to Trump, the talks include discussions on the release of 20 Israeli prisoners, while U.S. estimates indicate that around 30 others have been killed.