fighting and surge in additional humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip.
The temporary truce is the first halt in the conflict since Hamas, in a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killed 1,200 people and seized about 240 hostages. Israel in turn vowed to eliminate Hamas and bombarded Gaza with aerial attacks and a ground offensive that Palestinian officials say has killed more than 14,000 people, about 40% of them children.
Netanyahu’s office released video of the prime minister visiting the Gaza Strip where he spoke with Israeli troops.
“We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return everyone,” Netanyahu said.
He also reiterated that Israel plans to pursue the goal of eliminating Hamas to ensure the militant group cannot attack Israel in the future.
While the cease-fire with Hamas seemed to be holding, the Palestinian health ministry said that Israeli forces shot dead at least six Palestinians overnight on the West Bank.
The pause in fighting has allowed an increase in humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, where the U.N. says an estimated 1.7 million people—about three-quarters of the population—are displaced.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said late Sunday that cooking gas reached Gaza but that the amount was still well below what people need.
The agency also continued to describe “overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions” at U.N.-run shelters where half of those forced from their homes by the conflict are staying.