Hamas urges Israel to halt strikes as it searches for two captives

Hamas's armed wing urged the Israeli military to temporarily halt air strikes and withdraw from part of Gaza City on Sunday as it tried to locate two Israeli captives it said it had lost contact with.

"The lives of the two prisoners are in real danger, and (Israeli) forces must immediately withdraw to the south of Street 8 and halt aerial operations for 24 hours starting from 18:00 today to allow attempts to rescue the prisoners," wrote the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades in a statement.

In a previous announcement, the armed group said the loss of contact was due to Israeli military attacks in two southern Gaza City neighbourhoods over the previous 48 hours, where Israeli forces have stepped up air and ground assaults.

In the past, the Palestinian group announced that it had lost contact with an Israeli-American captive, who was released a few days after that announcement.

Since launching its offensive on Gaza City, the Israeli military has repeatedly ordered Palestinians to move south.

Speaking at the United Nations, Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "finish the job" in Gaza, despite sharp international condemnation following the intensification of the offensive.

Of the 251 people abducted during the 7 October attack, 47 remain held in Gaza, including 25 whom the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 66,005 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, which the UN deems reliable.