Israeli forces are continuing their bombardment of the Gaza Strip. They say they've killed several senior Hamas members.

The Israeli military said it struck more than 400 targets in Gaza on Monday and Tuesday, adding that it had destroyed a tunnel used by Hamas militants.

A medical worker in Gaza said the attack caused many casualties.

On Monday, Hamas released two elderly Israeli women from among more than 200 hostages after mediation by Egypt.

This is the second hostage release by Hamas. Two US citizens were freed on Friday.

Some US and Israeli media outlets have reported on negotiations on releasing an additional about 50 people.

In an opinion poll conducted in Israel last week, 49.5 percent of the respondents said the country should negotiate with Hamas to secure the release of hostages, and 17.5 percent said the government should do so even if it means stopping the fight.

Observers say public calls for negotiations may increase in the wake of the hostage releases.

Local media outlets reported that an Israeli Cabinet minister accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of opposing any offensive plan, and called him a "coward." They also said senior government officials have differing views on when the military should launch a ground operation in Gaza.

The Prime Minister's Office on Monday released a statement saying there is "total and mutual trust" among the prime minister, the defense minister and the military chief of staff, and that their shared goal is clear.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas has left over 6,400 people dead since October 7 -- at least 1,400 on the Israeli side and 5,087 in Gaza.