GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh insisted that the death of three of his sons in an Israeli air strike would not influence truce talks in Gaza, as bombardments on Thursday rocked the Palestinian territory.

Israel confirmed the killings, which came as talks in Cairo for a temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal drag on without signs of a breakthrough.

Speaking to Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera, Haniyeh suggested that the strike, which also killed four of his grandchildren, was an attempt to shift Hamas鈥檚 negotiating stance.

鈥淚f they think that this will force Hamas to change its positions, they are delusional,鈥� he said.

US President Joe Biden said Hamas 鈥渘eeds to move鈥� on the latest truce proposal, which the militant group has said it is studying.

Israel鈥檚 main international ally the United States has also been ramping up pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a truce, increase the amount of aid flowing into the besieged Gaza Strip and abandon plans to invade the southern city of Rafah.

Biden labelled Netanyahu鈥檚 handling of the war a 鈥渕istake鈥� in an interview broadcast on Tuesday, before warning on Wednesday that Israel has not allowed enough aid into the territory.

Despite calls for a ceasefire, Israel carried out strikes early Thursday in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the south of the territory, witnesses said.

The war broke out with Hamas鈥檚 October 7 attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.

Palestinian militants also took about 250 hostages, 129 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli army says are dead.

Israel鈥檚 retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,482 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory鈥檚 health ministry.

Talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have been ongoing since Sunday.

Hamas spokesman in Doha Hossam Badran said: 鈥淗amas is studying the offer presented... It has not responded yet.鈥�

A framework being circulated would halt fighting for six weeks and see the exchange of about 40 hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Biden, speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 now up to Hamas, they need to move on the proposal that鈥檚 been made.鈥�

There has been a growing chorus of international criticism aimed at Israel鈥檚 handling of the war and the paucity of aid entering the territory.

On Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that what he called Israel鈥檚 鈥渄isproportionate response鈥� in Gaza risked 鈥渄estabilising the Middle East, and as a consequence, the entire world.鈥�

Spain is among several Western nations, including Ireland and Australia, to have suggested they would recognize a Palestinian state in the near future as a starting point for wider peace talks.

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said that militarily 鈥淗amas is defeated鈥� but pledged to continue fighting 鈥渨hat remains of it,鈥� including in the years to come.

He also echoed Netanyahu鈥檚 vows to enter the southern city Rafah, despite growing international concern for the civilians there. 鈥淲e will enter Rafah. We will return to Khan Yunis,鈥� he said.

More than 1.5 million civilians are sheltering from the war in Rafah, the last Gazan city yet to face an Israeli ground incursion.

The United States has repeatedly warned against an attack on Rafah.

Evidencing his growing frustration with the hawkish Netanyahu, Biden has issued some of his sternest criticism yet of the war.

鈥淚 think what he鈥檚 doing is a mistake,鈥� Biden told the US network Univision in an interview that aired on Tuesday night.

He urged Netanyahu to 鈥渏ust call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks, total access to all food and medicine going into鈥� Gaza.

Washington鈥檚 tougher line on aid has brought some results, the US Agency for International Development said.

Recent days had seen a 鈥渟ea change鈥� in aid deliveries, said USAID administrator Samantha Power, although she insisted Israel needs to do more.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel would 鈥渇lood Gaza with aid,鈥� using a new crossing point on its northern border, streamlined checks and two new routes organized with Jordan.

He said they expected to hit 500 aid trucks entering Gaza a day, which would match the average level of aid and commercial trucks reaching the territory before the war.

The war in Gaza has raised fears that conflict could engulf the wider region.

Iran鈥檚 supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel on Wednesday that it 鈥渕ust be punished and will be punished鈥� for a strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus last week that Tehran has blamed on Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz replied with a Persian-language post saying: 鈥淚f Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack Iran.鈥�

In response to Iran鈥檚 threats, Biden on Wednesday promised 鈥渋ronclad鈥� support to Israel.

鈥淎s I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel鈥檚 security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad,鈥� Biden said.

German airline Lufthansa on Wednesday announced it had suspended flights to and from Tehran, probably until Thursday, saying it was 鈥渄ue to the current situation in the Middle East.鈥�