Health officials in Gaza say Israeli strikes have killed at least 24 Palestinians, including two babies. Israel says it killed three militant leaders and that some of the strikes were in response to an attack that wounded a soldier. The strikes come as an already fragile ceasefire deal is under increasing strain. Hospital officials report that among the dead are at least five children, seven women and an on-duty paramedic. The violence since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10 has killed more than 550 Palestinians. Eight Arab and Muslim countries have condemned Israel's actions. The ceasefire deal aimed to end a 2-year-old war between Israel and Hamas.

Three women from the first group of Palestinians to enter Gaza through the newly reopened Rafah crossing told The Associated Press that Israeli troops blindfolded, handcuffed and interrogated them for hours after they crossed. They said the treatment occurred at a screening station in Israeli-controlled territory. Asked about the allegations, the Israeli military said it wasn't aware of any inappropriate conduct or mistreatment. Confusion over luggage rules and tight vetting further marred the reopening, which allowed fewer people to cross than expected.

A Gaza Health Ministry official says Israel has turned over the bodies of 15 Palestinians just days after recovering the remains of the last Israeli hostage. The transfer on Thursday marks the last hostage-detainee exchange between Israel and Hamas. The return of all remaining hostages living or dead had been a key part of the first phase in the ceasefire that paused the war in October. A spokesperson at Gaza's health ministry says the bodies handed over Thursday were taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. It comes after Israel announced Monday it found and identified the remains of the last Israeli hostage at a cemetery in northern Gaza.

Israeli strikes in central Gaza have killed eight people, including three women, following the U.S. announcement of a second phase in the fragile ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the ceasefire largely symbolic, questioning its implementation. The announcement marked progress but left many questions unanswered, including the composition of a proposed Palestinian governing committee and the deployment of international forces. Palestinians in Gaza expressed skepticism about changes on the ground, citing ongoing violence and hardships. The second phase of the ceasefire faces challenges, including disarming Hamas and transitioning governance. Reconstruction is expected to take years and cost over $50 billion.

Hospital officials say Israeli airstrikes killed at least 40 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including 10 from the same family who were sheltering in a tent. Wednesday's strikes came as U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a ceasefire that might end the war and free dozens of Israeli hostages. Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second time in two days at the White House on Tuesday evening, but there was no sign of a breakthrough. Netanyahu has vowed to continue the 21-month war until Hamas is destroyed, while the militant group has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Dozens of international charities and humanitarian groups are calling for disbanding a controversial Israeli- and U.S.-backed system to distribute aid in Gaza. That's because of recurring chaos and violence against Palestinians seeking food at sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The call by groups including Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty International was made Tuesday as at least 13 Palestinians were killed while seeking aid in southern and central Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 37 people, and Israel's defense minister warned that his country would respond forcefully to the firing of a missile from Yemen.

Witnesses and medics in Gaza say an Israeli airstrike on a seaside cafe has killed at least 30 people in Gaza City. And others say Israeli forces killed 22 people when they fired on crowds returning from a food aid site and at a United Nations warehouse. The Israeli military says it is reviewing the incidents. The cafe was one of the few businesses to continue operating during the war. It was a gathering spot for residents seeking internet access and a place to charge their phones.

Hospital officials say Israeli strikes around Gaza killed more than 30 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children. One strike on Monday hit next to a charity kitchen distributing meals to displaced people. Palestinians in Gaza have come to rely more on such kitchens as food supplies dwindle under Israel's monthlong ban on goods entering the territory. Another strike hit a news media tent, killing a local reporter and one other person and wounding six other journalists. The Israeli military says the strike targeted a man whom it identified as a Hamas militant posing as a journalist.

Gaza's Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike has killed at least 27 Palestinians sheltering at a school in northern Gaza and wounded 70 more. Health Ministry spokesman Zaher al-Wahidi said the bodies of 14 children and five women were recovered from the school in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City. He said the death toll from Thursday's strike could still rise because some of the wounded had critical injuries. The Israeli military said it struck a "Hamas command and control center" in the Gaza City area, and said it took steps to lessen harm to civilians. Israeli forces have been expanding their strikes and evacuation orders across the war-torn territory in recent days.

Health officials in the Gaza Strip say more than 45,000 Palestinians have now been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas militants. Gaza's Health Ministry doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but has said more than half of the dead are women and children. Meanwhile, often-stalled ceasefire talks appear to be gaining ground. Israel's defense minister says negotiators are closer to a deal than at any time since the only previous truce in November 2023. Mediators have said there appears to be more willingness from both sides after 14 months of war.