Hopes were dwindling Thursday for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where fighting raged despite pressure from the United States on Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas to reach an agreement.The Islamist group said it was keen to reach a ceasefire but protested "new conditions" from Israel in the latest US proposal.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) entered the Khan Yunis area in Gaza acting on intelligence from the Israeli Securities Authority (ISA) and IDF intelligence units to find the bodies of six now-deceased hostages.

Hamas has rejected President Joe Biden’s claim that it is “backing away” from a ceasefire-for-hostage deal, while insisting that the US is yielding to Israel’s interests in crunch negotiations. A statement from the militant group on Tuesday stopped short of outright rejection of a compromise proposal drawn up by mediators,

Israeli forces pressed deeper into areas of the central and southern Gaza Strip as they battled Hamas fighters, while Palestinian health officials said on Thursday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 22 people across the enclave.

US President Joe Biden has “stressed the urgency” of reaching a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House has said. In a call on Wednesday,