Israel has cut off power to two desalination plants in the Deir Al-Balah area of central Gaza, depriving thousands of Palestinians of water.

Three days into Israel's Gaza aid freeze, one aid group says a resumption is imperative: "With humanitarian needs sky high, more aid access is required, not less."

Deir al Balah municipality claims Israel cut electricity supply to desalination facilities; Israel denies accusations, says Deir al Balah suffering from local technical failure

Israel's cutoff of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza's 2 million people has sent prices soaring and humanitarian groups into overdrive, trying to distribute dwindling stocks to the most vulnerable.

Former far-right minister asks for full shutdown of electricity and water in the enclave, while two desalination plants have already been shut down in Deir al-Balah

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire began Thursday, Egypt said, averting a

The Israeli statement cited “ceremonies that demean the dignity of our hostages and the cynical use of the hostages for propaganda purposes.”

Hamas had said the other remains belonged to Shiri Bibas, and her two young boys, Ariel and Kfir. In an overnight announcement, the army said Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine had identified the boys, but the final set of remains did not belong to their mother. It said the remains did not match any other hostage either.

Officials from Israel, Qatar and the United States started 'intensive discussions' on the cease-fire accord's second phase in Cairo, Egypt‘s state information service said.

Five of the captives were handed over in staged ceremonies that the Red Cross and Israel have condemned in the past — brought out by masked, armed Hamas fighters in front of hundreds of Palestinians before being transferred to Red Cross vehicles.