• Hamas urges Israel to suspend air strikes for 24 hours to locate two lost hostages.
• Israeli military operations have caused significant civilian casualties in Gaza.
• Current conflict began with a major attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
• Netanyahu vows to continue military operations despite international condemnation.
• Over 66,000 people have been reported killed in Gaza due to the conflict.

The military wing of Hamas has urgently requested the Israeli military to temporarily halt air strikes and withdraw from specific regions of Gaza City as it attempts to locate two Israeli hostages it claims to have lost contact with. The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades announced the need for a 24-hour pause, arguing that "the lives of the two prisoners are in real danger" and calling for a withdrawal from the areas surrounding Street 8 starting at 6 PM local time on September 28, 2023, according to Channel News Asia and Le Monde.

Hamas indicated that the loss of communication with the hostages was tied to intense military operations launched by Israel over the preceding 48 hours in southern neighborhoods. As Israeli ground forces have intensified their assault on Gaza City, there has been a call for civilians to evacuate to safer areas. Reports indicate that at least 77 people were killed in a single day due to Israeli fire, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis, as noted by South China Morning Post and India Times.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has articulated his commitment to "finish the job" against Hamas, asserting that the Israeli military will not pause its operations despite international outcry. The ongoing conflict, which began with Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in the death of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, primarily civilians, while Hamas states over 66,000 have been killed in Gaza, as reported by Channel News Asia, South China Morning Post, and Le Monde.