“Gaza, with its great people and its resilience, will rise again to rebuild what the occupation has destroyed and continue on the path of steadfastness until the occupation is defeated,” Hamas said in a statement after the cease-fire.

US President Donald Trump’s proposal to “clean out” the Gaza Strip by moving more than a million Palestinians to neighboring countries has drawn sharp criticism, with opponents condemning it as ethnic cleansing and warning of regional chaos.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that the Biden administration had earmarked $50 million for a condom distribution programme in the Gaza Strip. Her comments came as she was justifying Donald Trump’s sweeping freeze on all foreign aid.

Wealthy Arab nations consider bankrolling Gaza’s reconstruction, but they want assurances Palestinians will lead in the postwar period.

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

Israeli leaders delayed the release of more than hundred Palestinians as agreed over concerns with how the eight Israeli hostages were released.

Trump sent Witkoff to ensure the ceasefire agreement advances to the second phase, which will require hashing out more thorny questions about Gaza’s future.

Donald Trump told reporters he wants Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations to take in “probably a million and a half” Palestinians from the war-torn strip.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force On, Trump detailed his conversation with Jordan's Abdullah II, saying he asked him to take in more Palestinians.

President Donald Trump said he wanted Jordan and Egypt to take in more Palestinians from Gaza so they could "maybe live in peace" there.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel has begun allowing Palestinians to return to the heavily destroyed north of the Gaza Strip for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, in accordance with a fragile ceasefire.