41 Palestinians have been killed and several wounded in Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip since dawn today, Al Jazeera reports.

Israel’s renewed assault on the enclave since March 18 comes as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at forcing Hamas to renegotiate the ceasefire deal agreed upon in January.

Hamas, however, has insisted on a return to the previously agreed deal and has offered to free all the captives at once in return for a permanent ceasefire.