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US hostage envoy Adam Boehler says he doesn’t “really care” about Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer’s criticism of his direct talks with Hamas, while referring to Palestinian prisoners as “hostages.

Israel estimates that 59 hostages are still held in Gaza with at least 22 of them alive. They are expected to be set free in a second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, which would require Israel to fully withdraw its forces from Gaza and end the war permanently.

Israel carried out an air strike on militants in northern Gaza on Sunday, rattling an already fragile ceasefire as it prepared for fresh talks in Doha on the future of its truce with Hamas.

The move is part of an escalating pressure campaign, but the Palestinian enclave gets most of its power from generators.

Israel has imposed a total blockade on all goods entering the enclave, demanding that Hamas free remaining hostages without beginning the negotiations to end the Gaza war.

As cease-fire talks stall, Israel has charted a course for gradually increasing pressure on Hamas to the point of another invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Israel and Hamas are preparing for the next phase of ceasefire negotiations, aiming to extend the fragile truce that began in January. Hamas stated there were positive indicators for progress, while Israel confirmed