CAIRO/GAZA - Egypt on Sunday dispatched a large humanitarian aid convoy carrying nearly 3,000 tons of urgent relief supplies to the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) said in a statement.

It is the 43rd convoy sent under an initiative launched by the ERC on July 27 as an Egyptian mechanism for providing aid to Gaza.

Sunday's convoy included more than 2,700 tons of food and flour, along with about 300 tons of medical and relief supplies, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Gaza's health authorities said that Israel's military campaign has killed 66,005 Palestinians and injured 168,162 others since Oct 7, 2023, while destroying infrastructure and worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave.

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The authorities reported that hospitals in Gaza received 79 bodies and 379 wounded in the past 24 hours, noting that "a number of victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads, with ambulance and civil defense crews unable to reach them."

Famine and malnutrition have also claimed 422 lives, including 145 children, since the conflict began, according to the authorities.

Hamas denied on Sunday receiving any new proposals from mediators regarding a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas said in a press statement that the ceasefire negotiations have been stalled since "the failed assassination attempt on Sept 9 in the Qatari capital, Doha," referring to the Israeli attack on the movement's office in Doha, which resulted in casualties, including a Qatari security officer.

The movement affirmed its willingness to consider any proposals presented by the mediators "positively and responsibly," in a manner that preserves the national rights of the Palestinian people.

The statement comes as international media outlets reported on a new proposal presented by US President Donald Trump, which includes 21 points to end the war in Gaza.

According to the reports, the proposal stipulates that Hamas hand over all hostages, both living and dead, within 48 hours, and includes a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza. Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners, allow aid to flow into Gaza, and provide for an interim Palestinian government of technocrats to govern the coastal enclave, ensuring that Hamas has no role in governing the enclave.

Contact with 2 Israeli hostages lost

Also on Sunday, Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said  that it had lost communication with two Israeli hostages due to intensified Israeli attacks in Gaza City.

In a press statement, Al-Qassam said communication with the hostages, identified as Omri Miran and Matan Angrest, was cut off during the past 48 hours amid heavy Israeli bombardment and military activity in the Sabra and Tel al-Hawa neighborhoods.

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Al-Qassam warned that the lives of the two hostages were in "real danger," demanding Israeli forces withdraw south of Street No 8 and halt air operations for 24 hours to allow attempts to secure the captives.

Local sources and eyewitnesses said the Israeli army has expanded its ground operations in several areas of Gaza City, including Al-Nasr, Sheikh Radwan, and Al-Shati refugee camp in the north, as well as Tel al-Hawa and Sabra in the south, supported by airstrikes, artillery shelling, and tank fire.

In a separate statement, the Israeli military said its 98th Division had expanded operational control around Gaza City in recent hours, targeting military infrastructure and several militants in coordination with the air force.

The army added that its 162nd Division continued fighting in the area, destroying buildings and combat sites belonging to armed groups. Its air force struck about 140 targets across the Gaza Strip in recent hours, including military facilities, militants, and other infrastructure.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive on the Gaza Strip on Oct 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on southern Israel that left more than 1,200 people dead and led to the capture of 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.