Airstrikes and shootings killed 94 Palestinians in Gaza overnight, including 45 who were attempting to get much-needed humanitarian aid, hospitals and the Health Ministry said Thursday.

Israeli soldiers are accused of opening fire on crowds at sites operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Dozens of Palestinians have once again lost their lives in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian reports said on Thursday. Citing medical sources, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that 88 people have been killed since Thursday morning.

American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food, according to accounts and videos obtained by The Associated Press.

Israeli officials said prospects for reaching a ceasefire deal and hostage deal appeared high, nearly 21 months since the war between Israel and Hamas began. On the ground, intensified Israeli strikes across Gaza continued unabated,

The rise of Izz al-Din al-Haddad in the chain of command suggests the group will hold firm to its position demanding a total end to the war before releasing all remaining hostages.