Sporadic clashes between the Israel Defense Forces and Gaza militants -- plus deadly IDF airstrikes -- continue despite the Gaza ceasefire.

Ruling deals setback to Israel’s efforts to overturn arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - Anadolu Ajansı

President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan is set to enter a new phase within weeks, but crucial pieces of the agreement remain undefined as Israel tightens its military grip on the battered enclave.

In all, 20 living hostages and the remains of 27 others have been returned to Israel since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire began in early October.

The return of all the hostages taken on the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war is a key element of the first phase of the ceasefire that began last month. In exchange, Israel has been releasing Palestinian prisoners.

The killing of the commander, Raed Saad, on Saturday was the highest-profile assassination of a Hamas leader since a cease-fire came into force two months ago.

Israel announced it had killed a senior Hamas leader who served as one of the architects of the Oct. 7 attack, dealing a significant blow to the terror group's military capabilities.

Six Israelis kidnapped in the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7 were filmed lighting improvised Hanukkah candles in a tunnel in Gaza roughly eight months before they were executed there, according to footage recovered by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and released by their families this week.