Rifts with Hamas and a far-right minister’s threat to resign complicated progress toward the Israeli cabinet’s vote on the deal, which includes the release of hostages.

Turkey's intelligence chief discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza in a phone call on Monday with officials from the political wing of Palestinian militant group Hamas, a Turkish security source said.

“The message is that Hamas is ‘the day after’ for the war,” said Ibrahim Madhoun, an analyst close to Hamas based in Turkey ... seen in Saraya Square in Gaza City next to a car holding ...

As the Gaza ceasefire takes hold, aid workers caution that the toughest challenges are yet to come, describing the truce as only the first step on a long road to recovery.

Smotrich said he has received assurances that Israel will resume the war after the first phase, during which 33 hostages held in Gaza are to return home and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. The second phase, which must still be negotiated, is to work out an end to the war and return of all remaining hostages.

The four Israeli soldiers released were taken from Nahal Oz base near the border with Gaza when Palestinian militants overran it, killing more than 60 soldiers there. A fifth female soldier in their unit, Agam Berger, 20, was abducted with them but not included in the list.

Israel’s military says it won’t complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by Sunday as outlined in its ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah militants. The confirmation came Saturday while another fragile ceasefire — between Israel and the Hamas militant group — saw a second release of hostages from Gaza and Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody.

It is another test for the truce that is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the militant group.

Azzam al-Shallalta dropped to his knees and wept at his mother's feet as he arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah with other Palestinian prisoners released under the Gaza ceasefire on Saturday. - 'Left hoping' - Others were not so lucky,

Hamas has announced the names of the next four hostages it will release this weekend as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel that has halted fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks.

(AP) — Hamas announced Friday the names of the next four hostages it plans to release this weekend as part of a fragile ceasefire deal with Israel that has paused the war in Gaza. There was no immediate confirmation of the names from Israel.