Israel invaded the Gaza Strip in October 2023 in response to a cross-border attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Israel's military campaign over the past 21 months has laid waste to vast swathes of the Palestinian enclave.

Israel and Hamas appeared no closer to a breakthrough in indirect talks meant to pause the war and free some Israeli hostages after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Washington visit last week.

At least 31 Palestinians were fatally shot on their way to an aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, while Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 Palestinians including four children, Palestinian hospital officials and witnesses said.