Israeli tanks, boats and jets pounded parts of Gaza, giving Palestinians no respite on the anniversary of the Hamas attack that led to two years of war and underlining the challenges at talks on US President Donald Trump's plan to halt the conflict.
With no ceasefire in place, residents said Israel pressed on with its offensive, after Hamas and Israel began indirect negotiations yesterday in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt on key issues such as Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas' disarmament.
The talks on the US president's plan are widely seen as the most promising yet for ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza since the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel which killed 1,200 people.
But Qatar, which has mediated in previous attempts to secure a ceasefire along with the United States and Egypt, said many details still have to be ironed out.
"The plan consists of 20 points, and all of these points require practical interpretations on the ground," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, told a press conference.
Hamas handing over hostages seized in the 2023 attack would mean the end of the war, he said.
Residents in Khan Younis in southern Gaza and Gaza City in the north reported heavy bombing from tanks and planes in the early hours. Israeli forces pounded several districts from the air, sea and ground, they said.
Gaza militants fired rockets across the border early, setting off air raid sirens at Israeli kibbutz Netiv Haasara, and Israeli troops continued to tackle gunmen inside the territory, the Israeli military said.
Watch: Israeli forces shell Gaza on anniversary of Hamas attack
Israelis marking the anniversary of the Hamas attack gathered at some of the worst-hit sites of that day, including the Nova music festival where 364 people were shot, bludgeoned or burned to death, and at Tel Aviv's so-called Hostages Square.
All of those places remind Israelis of the bloodiest single day for Jews since the Holocaust.
Orit Baron, whose daughter Yuval was killed with her fiance Moshe Shuva at the Nova festival, stood beside a photo of her daughter there.
"They were supposed to get married on February 14th, Valentine's Day. And both of the families decided because actually they were found (dead) together and they brought them to us together (that) the funeral will be together," said Ms Baron.
"They are buried next to each other because they were never separated."
A state-organised commemoration is planned for 16 October.
Many Israelis went to the Nova festival site yesterday.
"It was a very difficult and enormous incident that happened here," Elad Gancz, a teacher, said as he mourned the dead.
"But we want to live - and despite everything, continue with our lives, remembering those who were here and, unfortunately, are no longer with us."
The Taoiseach said his thoughts are with the hostages remaining in Gaza, who he said must be released immediately.
"I think also of all those who lost loved one, including the family of Kim Damti".
Ms Damti, a young Israeli-Irish citizen, was killed during the attack on the music festival.
Micheál Martin added: "This war needs to end. The appalling slaughter and famine in Gaza needs to end."
In a statement, Tánaiste Simon Harris said he was thinking of those "indiscriminately and brutally killed" in the 7 October attacks and called for the "immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas" and an end to the conflict.
"I think of those indiscriminately and brutally killed on that terrible day, the many more hurt and injured, and of the hostages still being held captive in Gaza by Hamas and other terrorist groups. Their pain and anguish, and that of their families and loved ones, is unimaginable."
Mr Harris said that a window exists to end the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians and called for an end to the war.
"The events of the past two years must serve as an urgent reminder of the enduring need for a sustained and peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A political resolution is the only way to a lasting peace."
Watch: Families and friends of those killed at Nova music festival mark anniversary
Also marking the anniversary of the Hamas attack, an umbrella of Palestinian factions including Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and smaller militant groups vowed "the choice of resistance by all means is the sole and only way to confront the Zionist enemy."
"No one has the right to cede the weapons of the Palestinian people. This legitimate weapon... will be passed through the Palestinian generations until their land and sacred sites are liberated," said the statement, issued in the name of "Factions of the Palestinian Resistance".
Since the war began, more than 67,000 people have been killed in Gaza, with nearly a third of those under 18, according to Gaza health authorities.
A UN commission of inquiry last month assessed that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel called the finding biased and "scandalous".
"It's been two years that we are living in fear, horror, displacement and destruction," said Mohammed Dib, a 49-year-old Gazan, voicing hopes of an end to the conflict.
'This moment must be seized' EU says
Despite the continued violence, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the "immediate release of all hostages and a ceasefire are now within reach".
"This moment must be seized to pave the way for a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution," she said.
Israel responded to the 2023 attack by launching its offensive in Gaza, while also assassinating the group's leaders outside the territory and other Iranian-backed groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, and pounding Yemen's Houthis.
It killed Iran's top military commanders and attacked its nuclear facilities during a brief war joined by the United States.
The offensive in Gaza has largely flattened the territory.
Israel and Hamas have endorsed the overall principles behind Mr Trump's plan, under which fighting would cease, hostages go free and aid pour into Gaza.
It also has backing from Arab and Western states. Mr Trump has called for negotiations to take place swiftly towards a final agreement.
Even if a deal is clinched during talks in Egypt, questions will linger over who will rule Gaza and rebuild it.
Mr Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have ruled out any role for Hamas.
A Hamas source familiar with the talks said the group had requested a clear timeline of an Israeli withdrawal and guarantees the war will end.
An official involved in ceasefire planning and a Palestinian source said Mr Trump's 72-hour deadline for the hostages' return could be unachievable for dead hostages. Their remains may need to be located and recovered from scattered sites.
'I can't wait for a ceasefire to be announced'
Hundreds of thousands of homeless Gazans now shelter in overcrowded camps and open areas with little access to food, water or sanitation.
"We have lost everything in this war, our homes, family members, friends, neighbours," said Hanan Mohammed, 36, who is displaced from her home in Jabalia.
"I can't wait for a ceasefire to be announced and for this endless bloodshed and death to stop... there is nothing left but destruction."
After two years of conflict, 72% of the Israeli public said they were dissatisfied with the government's handling of the war, according to a recent survey by the Institute for National Security Studies.
Mr Trump has urged negotiators to "move fast" to end the war in Gaza.
The US president told Newsmax TV that "I think we're very, very close to having a deal... I think there's a lot of goodwill being shown now. It's pretty amazing actually".
Although both sides have welcomed Mr Trump's proposal, reaching an agreement on its details is expected to be a Herculean task.
The war has previously seen two ceasefires that enabled the release of dozens of hostages.
However, Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has warned that if these negotiations fail, the military will "return to fighting" in Gaza.
