GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) — Hamas’s lead negotiator said the group was ready to enter a new round of talks aimed at sealing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, where rescuers said Israeli strikes killed at least 37 people on Thursday.

Negotiator Khalil al-Hayya made the declaration in a speech marking the start of Eid al-Adha festivities, typically a joyous date on the Muslim calendar, but one many Gazans say they will not be able to celebrate this year amid crushing shortages.

“We reaffirm that we are ready for a new, serious round of negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement,” Hayya said, adding the group was in contact with mediators.

Talks aimed at brokering a new ceasefire have failed to yield a breakthrough since the last brief truce fell apart in March with the resumption of Israeli operations in Gaza.

Israel and Hamas appeared close to an agreement late last month, but a deal proved elusive, with each side accusing the other of scuppering a United States-backed proposal.

The Israeli military has recently stepped up its campaign in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war.

Gaza civil defense official Mohammed al-Mughayyir said that “37 people have been martyred in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip” as of Thursday afternoon, reporting attacks up and down the length of the territory.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an Agence France-Presse request for comment.

International calls for a negotiated ceasefire have grown in recent weeks, particularly as the humanitarian situation in the devastated Palestinian territory has worsened.

The World Health Organization warned Thursday that Gaza’s “health system is collapsing,” pointing to the risks faced by the Nasser and Al-Amal medical facilities — the “last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Yunis,” where many displaced Gazans are sheltering.