A senior Hamas official said the group is open to discussions over a possible truce with Israel, having "achieved its targets," as the death toll in the three-day war reached 1,500.
In response to a question on whether Hamas is prepared to negotiate a potential truce, Moussa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera in a phone interview that the Islamist organization was open to "something of that sort" and "all political dialogues," according to Reuters.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 600 Palestinians have also perished, while Israel's Army Radio alleged that over 900 Israelis had also perished. In Israel's attacks on Gaza, many more people have been hurt.
According to the Israeli rescue agency Zaka, more than 100 dead have been found in a tiny farming village that was the scene of a hostage siege during a Hamas onslaught.
In reaction to Hamas' unprecedented onslaught on his nation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said that Israel had "only started" a ferocious battle in the Gaza Strip.
He made the proclamation in a speech that was broadcast nationwide as Israel continued its third day of intensive bombardment of Gaza.
According to Netanyahu, "We have only begun striking Hamas." The actions we take against our adversaries in the upcoming days will affect them for decades.
Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, echoed such comments and equated the entry of Hamas fighters into his nation to the "abhorrent and unspeakable" deeds of Isis. He also urged foreign leaders to back Israel "in words and in deeds" and to label Hamas a terrorist organization.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City early on Tuesday killed two Palestinian journalists.
The journalists were named by Wafa as Mohammed Sobih, a photographer, and Saeed Al-Taweel, an editor. The airstrike happened not far from a location with multiple media offices.
According to reports, three Palestinian journalists were shot and murdered on Saturday while covering Gaza. Photographer Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi and journalist Mohammad Jarghoun were two of them, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which cited Palestinian press freedom organizations. Mohammad El-Salhi, a freelance journalist, was also assassinated, according to CPJ.
According to CPJ, Jarghoun reported for Smart Media, while Lafi worked for Ain Media.