At least 241 people have been killed in Gaza in a 24-hour period, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.

This comes as Israeli forces expand their ground offensive to central Gaza, launching over 200 rockets in one day, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer Tuesday night, where they discussed freeing hostages still held in Gaza.

During the meeting, they covered four key points, officials familiar with the meeting told ABC News, including the transition to a different phase of the war to maximize Israel's focus on precision targeting of high value Hamas targets. They also worked on practical steps to improve the humanitarian situation and minimize harm to civilians. Planning for after the war ends was also covered, with discussions about governance and security in Gaza, a political horizon for the Palestinian people and continued work on normalization and integration.

The meeting came on the same day President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. According to a read-out of the call, the two leaders spoke about the efforts to see hostages released and ongoing efforts to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller and Jay O'Brien

Gaza is facing another telecommunications blackout, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

“This presents a significant challenge for emergency medical teams in reaching the wounded and injured,” the organization warned.

Israel’s war cabinet is meeting to discuss operational issues of the war as well as the hostages, according to an Israeli political source.

There are several hostage deals being discussed, the Israeli source said, including a proposal from Egyptians that would involve a cease-fire in exchange for the release of more hostages and lead to a broader agreement involving a permanent cease-fire, along with an overhaul of leadership in Gaza, according to an Egyptian source.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

The Israel Defense Forces has published the findings of its investigation into the accidental killing of three hostages by IDF soldiers in the Shejaiya area of Gaza on Dec. 15.

The IDF Chief of the General Staff concluded that "the IDF failed in its mission to rescue" them and "the entire chain of command feels responsible."

The three hostages -- 28-year-old Yotam Haim, 26-year-old Alon Shamriz and 22-year-old Samer Talalka -- were carrying a stick with a white cloth, and the IDF initially said its forces "mistakenly identified" the men as a threat. Soldiers opened fire, killing two of the men.

The third hostage, who was injured, ran back into the building where all three had emerged from, and someone cried "help" in Hebrew. The battalion commander ordered his troops to stop firing, but, despite the order, another burst was fired, killing the third hostage, according to the IDF.

The investigation “revealed that the command ranks had information about the presence of hostages in the Shejaiya area and even took actions to prevent strikes on locations suspected of having hostages inside," the findings said.

But the probe also revealed that "IDF soldiers involved in the incident experienced complex combat situations in the days preceding the incident and were in a state of high alert for a threat," the findings said. "During the battles, they encountered deceptions by the enemy and attempts to draw them into pits and buildings rigged with explosives."

Days before Dec. 15, IDF soldiers heard cries for help in Hebrew.

"The forces interpreted this as a terrorist deception attempt," the investigation said.

“Some of the forces heard the cries but suspected it was an attempt by the terrorists to draw the forces inside the building to harm them, as had happened in the past," the investigation said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller