Soldiers disrupted a Jerusalem gathering to mark the early release of an imprisoned Palestinian, arresting his brother and roughing up his father. A Times reporter conducting interviews was also assaulted.
The return of fighters to Gaza streets highlights how Israeli bombardment has failed to achieve Netanyahu’s goal or eradicating Hamas as a political force.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah is in new jeopardy Sunday as various groups slow walk responsibilities under the deal.
They had been due to travel north of the Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land controlled by Israel, on Saturday.
Hamas released four Israeli hostages in Gaza early Saturday in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners to be released later in the day. It was the second release to occur as part of the ceasefire agreement that began last weekend. Israel followed with the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners.
Some troops had been expected to withdraw to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans to go home. But Israel said the hostage exchange before that step had not gone as agreed. Hamas accused Israel of stalling.
The fragility of the truce between Israel and Hamas was laid bare on Saturday, after Israel accused Hamas of withholding a hostage, prompting a halt in the movement of Gazan civilians back to their homes in the north.
Two hundred Palestinian prisoners have also been released today by Israel in the latest stage of a ceasefire deal.
Hamas has agreed to release hostage Arbel Yehud from Gaza on Thursday, easing the first major crisis of the Middle East ceasefire deal.
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 more Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza, a suggestion rejected by Hamas,
Tens of thousands of Palestinians are streaming into the most heavily destroyed part of the Gaza Strip after Israel lifted its closure of the north for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas.