Live: Israel expands offensive to southern Gaza as Hamas warns only ceasefire will free hostages Israeli forces attacked areas of the central and southern Gaza Strip in areas crammed with tens of thousands of Palestinians already displaced by the Israeli-Hamas war overnight from Thursday to Friday. A Hamas official said that a “partial or temporary cessation of aggression” wouldn’t be enough to free the more than 100 hostages who Israel says remain in captivity in Gaza. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.