During its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, Hamas and other groups took about 250 people hostages and brought them to Gaza. A previous truce in November 2023 freed more than 100 hostages, while others have been rescued or their remains have been recovered over the past year.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the pressure is on the Palestinian militant group Hamas to move forward with the cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, arguing the group’s support from its allies in

U.S. officials say both Hamas and Israel are making concessions toward securing a deal, but tempered optimism with differences remaining on key issues.

The order included four residential block areas in a refugee camp where Israel claims Palestinian militants fired rockets from.

Israel and Hamas are closing in on an agreement to end more than 14 months of war. But so far, the sides remain unable to seal the deal.

Lengthy negotiations on an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza after 14 months of war between Israel and Hamas are in a final phase, according to Egyptian security circles. A deal that should also lead to the release of Hamas-held hostages from the Gaza Strip could be reached within 10 days,