JERUSALEM, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said on Thursday it has entered a "new stage" of its offensive in Gaza, escalating operations that have killed over 250 people it identified as militants or Hamas-affiliated individuals since mid-March, while Palestinian health officials reported a higher death toll.

Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Effie Defrin stated that Israeli forces had conducted more than 600 strikes in Gaza since resuming operations on March 18, following the collapse of a ceasefire.

"The plan serves the objectives of the war -- the return of the hostages and the dismantling of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities," Defrin said in a press briefing.

The health authorities in Gaza, which do not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties, said on Thursday that 1,163 people had been killed and 2,735 injured since the offensive resumed.

Defrin declined to outline specifics of the military's strategy, citing "operational ambiguity" to "surprise the enemy and achieve significant gains." He vowed operations would continue "until we bring back the 59 hostages, both the living and the fallen."

Late Thursday, Israel's military said its air defenses intercepted a rocket fired from Gaza, triggering sirens in the border community of Nahal Oz. No injuries were reported. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have launched sporadic rocket attacks since fighting resumed, though none have caused casualties in Israel.

The renewed violence followed the collapse of a three-phase ceasefire agreement brokered in January, which had paused 17 months of conflict in the Palestinian enclave.

The initial phase included a 42-day truce, the release of 33 Israeli hostages, and the freeing of around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Negotiations to extend the deal failed when Israel resumed strikes instead of advancing to a second phase, which envisioned a permanent ceasefire and further hostage releases.

Efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to revive talks have yet to yield a breakthrough. Enditem

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