The Israeli military on Monday released the names of five soldiers it says have been killed in the northern Gaza Strip, where the army is conducting a renewed ground operation while besieging the area where tens of thousands of hungry Palestinians are trapped.

At least 840 Israeli soldiers have been killed and more than 5,500 wounded since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, according to military figures.

Meanwhile, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas are now at a “pivotal point”, Al Jazeera reported.

Sullivan told reporters during a briefing at the White House that President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Qatar, along with the US and Egypt, has been a leading negotiator in the indirect talks.

Biden was also expected to speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, “soon”.

“We are close to a deal, and it can get done this week. I’m not making a promise or a prediction, but it is there for the taking, and we are able to work to make it happen,” Sullivan said.