As Israel expands operations in the enclave, Gazans increasingly voice defiance against Hamas, with dissenters risking their lives to demand freedom from the group’s grip.

Hamas' meetings with Egyptian officials will focus on ways to stop the war, deliver aid, and "end the suffering of our people in Gaza," Hamas official Taher al-Nono said in a statement.

The Palestinian group Hamas is keen on “swiftly” returning to ceasefire talks to end Israel’s war on Gaza, an Egyptian source said on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, made the comments while speaking with families of hostages being held in Gaza, according to witnesses.

CAIRO (Reuters) -Israeli forces demolished houses in eastern areas of Gaza City overnight, killing at least 11 people in aerial and tank fire, local health authorities said, as the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas told mediators it was ready to resume ceasefire talks.

Hamas has long called for a comprehensive deal but says it will only release the remaining hostages in return for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The group has refused to lay down its arms, as Israel has demanded.

Hamas held talks with Egyptian mediators over a potential ceasefire while Israel struck Gaza's main city prior to a planned takeover.