Former President Donald Trump said the prospect of Hamas returning Israeli hostages is growing dimmer by the day.

Mr. Trump raised doubts about the renewed negotiations for a cease-fire as Israel prepares for a military operation against the Palestinian militant group in the southern Gaza town of Rafah.

“Israel will find, very sadly, that there are far fewer hostages than currently being thought,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform. “That’s why it’s hard for Hamas to make a deal.”

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“They are no longer able to produce the people, because many of them are gone,” he posted. “Hamas is incapable of holding Jewish people for a long period of time without killing them, and it will only get worse!”

Mr. Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, reiterated his criticism of President Biden, saying he has shown “ZERO leadership” and insisting the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel would never have happened on his watch.

The comments came after Reuters reported Monday that Israeli airstrikes hit three houses in Rafah, killing at least 20 Palestinians and wounding others.

The strike came as Egypt prepared to host a Hamas delegation to discuss a cease-fire with Israel seven months into the conflict.

Speaking Monday in Riyadh, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he plans to press Israeli leaders to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, adding that the best way to end the conflict in Gaza would be for Hamas to release its Israeli hostages.

“The most effective way to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, to alleviate the suffering of children, women and men, and to create space for a more just and durable solution is to get a cease-fire and the hostages out,” Mr. Blinken said.

The violence has escalated tensions in the Middle East and sparked protests on college campuses across the United States.

• This story is based in part on wire service reports.