The families of American hostages being held by Hamas have pressed the White House to seriously consider cutting a unilateral deal with the terrorist organization to secure their loved ones’ release, and the option is currently under discussion within the Biden administration, according to five people familiar with the discussions.

In a meeting Sunday with national security adviser Jake Sullivan after Hamas killed six hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the relatives of U.S. citizens still in captivity urged the administration to evaluate options that do not include Israel, the sources said. Administration officials told the families that they would explore “every option,” but a deal with Hamas that includes Israel is still the best approach, people familiar with the conversation said.