Meanwhile the Israeli military says the country’s forces have been deployed along the length of Israel’s borders in a security boost ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
ADVERTISEMENTEmergency services in Gaza say they have recovered the bodies of at least 50 Palestinians from a mass grave near the Nasser Medical Complex in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Civil defence teams are reportedly still carrying out a search and recovery operation with some reports suggesting there may be 150 bodies buried in the area.
The Israeli Defense Forces withdrew from Khan Younis two weeks ago after months of fierce fighting to root out Hamas which left much of the city in ruins.
Meanwhile, at least 22 people – including 18 children – were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes on the southern city of Rafah.
Israel has carried out near-daily air raids on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million has sought refuge from fighting elsewhere.
For weeks, Israel has defied international warnings and threatened to launch a full-scale ground offensive into Rafah where it says Hamas is holding Israeli hostages and where the group’s leadership and at least four battalions are based.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to “land additional and painful blows” on Hamas in order to increase pressure on the group to free the remaining Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza.
"We will not relax for a moment in the scared mission to bring them [the hostages] back home,” he said in a video address.
“Unfortunately, all the proposals for returning our hostages were rejected by Hamas so far. Instead of withdrawing from its extreme positions, Hamas is planning divisions among us.”
And a spokesperson for the Israeli military said on Sunday that the country’s forces had been deployed along the entire length of Israel’s borders ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which is due to start on Monday evening.
“Even during the holiday, one must continue to be vigilant and adhere to the directives of the Home Front Command. Before our eyes is first and foremost the security of the citizens of the country," said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.