The sources said that while Hamas has successfully recruited new members, many are young and untrained and are being used for simple security purposes.

The White House on Saturday credited President Donald Trump for securing the release of four Israeli female soldiers who were held hostage by the militant group Hamas. In a statement over the weekend,

In a rare move hours after the cease-fire took effect, one senior Hamas official said the group wants to engage the new Trump administration.

Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, said on Wednesday that he welcomed the potential for “a dialogue” with Hamas and heaped praise on Qatar for helping facilitate the cease-fire deal between Israel and Gaza, despite facing scrutiny for previous ties to the Gulf nation.

Israel’s longest war has so far failed to destroy its main enemy, Hamas, which, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself – and a failure for Israel.

The group is set to release the more than 90 hostages over the coming weeks as part of the ceasefire deal with Israel.

A cease-fire announced Wednesday will end the 15-month war between Hamas and Israel and includes the eventual release of all hostages held by Hams and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

In our news wrap Friday, Hamas announced the names of four Israeli hostages it intends to release as part of the ceasefire deal, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israeli forces might not withdraw from Lebanon by the deadline set in an agreement with Hezbollah and President Trump ended the government-funded protection detail for Dr.

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.

Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag freed as 200 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons released in second such exchange under fragile truce