Israeli military strikes killed at least 14 people in 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry said, as international negotiators engage in talks to reinforce the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
The ministry reported the deaths in a statement Sunday, saying 51 other people were taken to the hospital with injuries. The bodies of 15 other people who had previously died were recovered, the ministry added.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Saturday that it had identified two Hamas operatives “operating a drone that posed a threat to IDF troops” and saw others collecting drone-operating equipment.
Israel’s military released the names of six people purportedly belonging to the group it was targeting.
Hamas’ Government Media Office in Gaza denied the allegations in a statement, saying the names Israel released were inaccurate. It said that one of the people the IDF identified is alive and that others had no part in the team allegedly targeted by Israel.
The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the alleged inaccuracies Hamas identified.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in January, but the temporary pause in hostilities has been undermined by mutual accusations of violations. Hamas has delayed the releases of hostages at different times, while Israeli strikes have continued sporadically in Gaza.
On Friday, Hamas agreed to release Edan Alexander, the last living U.S. citizen held hostage in Gaza. Four children were killed in an Israeli drone strike that day.
The first phase of the ceasefire expired this month, and the second phase is designed for the release of male hostages. That stage of the agreement is intended to initiate talks for a long-term end to the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he sent negotiators to Egypt to meet with “senior Egyptian officials to discuss the issue of the hostages.” Hamas previously said it was ready for the next round of talks.
Netanyahu met Saturday with the negotiating team and ministers to discuss a proposal from Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, under which the 11 living hostages in Gaza would be released and half of the hostages who were killed would be recovered.