Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, with 24 thought to be still alive, among the more than 250 it seized in its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Most of the rest have been freed, or their bodies handed over, in negotiated exchanges.

Israel said it recaptured an area from which it withdrew in the recent cease-fire, in the most significant ground operation since the truce with Hamas collapsed.

Israel has reportedly killed 500 people with its renewed assault in Gaza, as its threats to Palestinian civilians take on an increasingly menacing tone.