Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been walking a tightrope since voting against the hostage deal in the fateful government meeting on Friday night, January 17. He negotiated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in order to receive guarantees that the deal would not prevent Israel from completing its other war goals – destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities and ensuring that Gaza would no longer pose a security threat to Israel.

Hamas is rushing to reassert control over the territory it has ruled since 2007. Its leaders are exuberant—at least in public. In private, they are arguing bitterly. The war has deepened a longtime struggle between the group’s political and military leaders and has saddled it with enormous challenges.

President Trump has floated the idea of relocating Gazans to other Muslim countries so that reconstruction can get underway.

Palestinians chanted praise of Hamas on Saturday as they welcomed prisoners freed under a ceasefire deal between the militant group and Israel.

Hamas gunmen are guarding aid convoys in Gaza, and its police patrol city streets, sending a clear message: Hamas remains in charge.

Amid the Gaza ceasefire deal, Palestine President has called for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza strip saying they're ready to assume 'full responsibility'.

"His phone call tonight to a murderer of Jews is a wake-up call to those who still delude themselves about the P.A. being an alternative to Hamas in Gaza after the war," said Israeli Finance Minister

In an unusual move, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to soften its demands, because a hostage deal was likely to prevent an IDF operation in Gaza. Prime Minister ...

Israeli government approves ceasefire agreement. Ceasefire to begin in Gaza Sunday morning, hostages to be released in the afternoon.

A trio of Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in the first phase of the tri-stage deal that if fully implemented, would leave Hamas weakened

“Hamas’ goal now is to flood the northern Gaza Strip with hundreds of thousands of Gazans, and as soon as possible, before the ceasefire agreement collapses or it becomes clear that it will not continue into the next stages,” TPS-IL was told.

By Nandita Bose, Kanishka Singh and Nidal al-Mughrabi ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE/Cairo (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza, a suggestion rejected by Hamas,