Israel's refusal to withdraw from a narrow strip of desert on the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, as called for in the ceasefire with Hamas, could further threaten the fragile truce. An Israeli official said Thursday that Israeli forces would remain in the so-called Philadelphi corridor to prevent weapons smuggling.

The military was supposed to begin withdrawing from that region in early March if the current ceasefire, which expires Saturday, were extended.

Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages while it waited for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel in return, in an overnight exchange marking the final swap as part of a fragile truce in Gaza.

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were released Feb. 27 in Gaza and the West Bank as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal.

The UN Human Rights Chief accused Israel on Wednesday of showing an unprecedented disregard for human rights in its military actions in Gaza and said Hamas had violated international law. "Nothing justifies the appalling manner in which Israel has conducted its military operations in Gaza which consistently breached international law",

The plight of the Bibas family has come to embody the profound sense of loss and grief still permeating Israel.

Israeli and Hamas officials say they've agreed to exchange the bodies of dead hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, concluding the first phase of a fragile ceasefire.

Israel denied entry to European Parliament member Rima Hassan on Monday after accusing her of promoting boycotts of the country. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said French politician Hassan has “consistently worked to promote boycotts against Israel in addition to numerous public statements both on social media and in media interviews.

Israel has systematically targeted Palestinian healthcare workers in Gaza, arbitrarily detaining them without charge or access to legal counsel, and submitting them to torture and abuse, according to a new report by Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI).

Partners in the Israeli Leviathan offshore natural gas project have submitted a multi-billion dollar plan with the government to significantly expand the field and boost production, one of the partners in the group said on Sunday.

Israel and Hamas are trading accusations of violating the existing ceasefire as less than a week remains in their initial pause.

The demand is putting the new government in a bind, forcing it to choose between confronting a much stronger Israel or surrendering control of some of its territory.