Israeli tank and drone strikes in Gaza on Wednesday killed at least 17 people. The strikes happened in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and Khan Younis in the south.
The death toll was confirmed by hospital staff and journalists from the Associated Press who counted the bodies
In a related incident, Lebanon's Hezbollah fired more than 50 rockets into the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, hitting several homes. Hezbollah said this was in response to an Israeli attack in Lebanon the night before.
The violence follows a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and mediators from Egypt and Qatar, who are trying to secure a cease-fire in Gaza. Despite their efforts, both Hamas and Israel are still facing significant challenges.
Egypt, which is playing a key role in the negotiations, expressed doubts on Wednesday about the latest proposal to end the conflict. Egyptian officials believe Hamas won't agree to the plan due to concerns that it won't fully remove Israeli forces from Gaza.
US President Joe Biden also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, but details of the conversation have not been shared.
Hamas is thought to still hold around 110 hostages from the October 7 attacks that started the war. Israel estimates that about a third of these hostages are likely dead. During the October 7 attacks, Hamas killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
In response, Israel's ongoing military actions have killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The war has led to widespread destruction and forced most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents to flee their homes, often more than once.
