PM Benjamin Netanyahu tells Israeli pilots 'no ceasefire without the return of our hostages'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Ramon Air Force base in Southern Israel on Sunday and said to pilots there that "there will be no ceasefire without the return of our hostages." More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them in the October 7 Hamas attack that started the fighting between Israel and Hamas, and 242 hostages were taken from Israel into Gaza by the militant group. The Palestinian death toll in the conflict has reached 9,700, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. 

Israeli troops divided the northern and southern parts of Gaza, as communications across the besieged territory were temporarily cut Monday for a third time since the war started. The troops are expected to enter Gaza City on Monday or Tuesday, Israeli media reported.