Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday urged Hamas to free all hostages, saying their captivity provided Israel with "excuses" to attack Gaza, as rescuers recovered charred bodies from an Israeli strike.

Arab mediators are working on a proposal to end the Israel-Hamas war that would include a five to seven year truce and the release of all remaining hostages, officials said Wednesday. Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip killed nine people overnight,

The Israeli army killed at least 24 Palestinians in fresh strikes targeting homes and tents across the Gaza Strip on Monday as it continued its deadly assault on the enclave, medics said. Five people were killed and several others injured when fighter jets struck a tent for displaced people in central Gaza City, said a medical source.