The contractors have been enlisted to do weapons checks on vehicles carrying displaced Palestinians back to their homes in the north under the terms of the new cease-fire.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 653 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The information was verified by Israeli authorities and ceasefire guarantors including the United States,

To better understand what the cease-fire will mean for the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the Middle East, Foreign Affairs turned to Marc Lynch, a professor of political science at George Washington University and the director of its Middle East Studies program.

After more than 15 months of relentless Israeli bombardment, Gaza has been left in ruins. If last week's ceasefire holds, rebuilding could take decades, cost tens of billions of dollars and present overwhelming obstacles.

Egypt hosted delegations from Palestine, Israel, Qatar, and the United States in its capital, Cairo, to follow up on the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal that took effect on Sunday, with the first phase set to last for 42 days.

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are eager to leave miserable tent camps and return to their homes if a long-awaited ceasefire agreement halts the Israel-Hamas war.

The chances for durable peace may depend on Trump’s whims.

Israel says troops fired on masked gunmen in Gaza, but it remains committed to the ceasefire as it continues a new offensive in the West Bank.

This 42-day ceasefire aims to halt the 15-month conflict and facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Trump has rescinded the Biden administration’s sanctions against Israelis accused of violence in the territory.

Israeli forces have killed two Palestinian militants who carried out a deadly attack on a bus in the West Bank earlier this month

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel delayed a Cabinet vote Thursday on the long-awaited ceasefire deal that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory.