The group said that mediators were working “to remove obstacles and close gaps” after the cease-fire deal with Israel hit a roadblock. Israel has yet to comment.

As Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the cease-fire deal, Israel’s prime minister has vowed a return to “intense fighting” if hostages are not freed by Saturday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said the cease-fire would end if Hamas did not release captives held in Gaza. But he did not say how many hostages had to be freed.

Taking over the enclave, forcing Palestinians to leave and preventing them from returning would be clear violations of international law, experts say.

Hamas and President Trump have threatened to upend the cease-fire. Analysts say those words could prove hollow, but the deal still may not last beyond early March.

The police said the stores were selling books that supported terrorism, and that two of their owners had been arrested. A brother of the owners decried the raid as “political persecution.”

Hostages freed before Saturday’s exchange have expressed relief and joy, while descriptions of the torment they endured are trickling out.

During the war with Hamas, troops patrolled the Netzarim Corridor, which splits Gaza, preventing evacuated Palestinians from returning north.

He is making us a corrupted, brittle superpower.

The scenes at the latest hostage release in Gaza angered Israelis and created even more uncertainty surrounding the next steps in a phased cease-fire deal.

The release of the three men was the fifth in a staggered hostage-for-prisoner exchange laid out in a cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel.

The Israelis were identified as Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben-Ami, all of whom were abducted during the 2023 Hamas-led attack. Israel is expected to let dozens of Palestinian prisoners go in return.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will immediately follow up his first travel since assuming the position of America's top diplomat – a tour of Central America and the Caribbean – with travel to the Middle East, multiple outlets reported on Friday.

The post Reports: Marco Rubio Plans Middle East Tour After Maiden Voyage to Latin America appeared first on Breitbart.

Republican figures and conservative commentators are heaping praise on President Donald Trump’s plan for the United States to take control of Gaza, resettle its population, and rebuild it into a thriving economic hub, a strategy seen as a major shift away from the failed two-state solution.

The post Trump’s ‘Historic’ Gaza Plan Wins Support from GOP, Conservatives: ‘Peacemaker for Our Time’ appeared first on Breitbart.

The jihadist terror organization Hamas reacted with outrage to President Donald Trump's unprecedented proposal on Tuesday for the United States to seize the Gaza Strip and turn it into a global resort destination, calling Trump "irresponsible."

The post Hamas Calls Trump ‘Irresponsible’ for Gaza Takeover Plan: ‘Ridiculous and Absurd’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Although the president had been talking about the idea for weeks, there had been no meetings on the subject, and senior members of his government were taken by surprise.

Even aside from his stunning Gaza proposal, President Trump gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel nearly everything he wanted, signaling a renewal of their close alliance.

Hamas still controls most of the enclave, but Israel holds some key areas. International oversight could also be expanded, while the Palestinian Authority has presented itself as another alternative.

With Canada, Mexico, China, Colombia and the Middle East, President Trump has wasted no time threatening to use American might to force recalcitrant countries to back down and do what he wants.

Israel’s prime minister is expected to meet with President Trump this week to discuss the future of Gaza and broader regional issues.