Hamas still controls most of the enclave, but Israel holds some key areas. International oversight could also be expanded, while the Palestinian Authority has presented itself as another alternative.

With Canada, Mexico, China, Colombia and the Middle East, President Trump has wasted no time threatening to use American might to force recalcitrant countries to back down and do what he wants.

Israel’s prime minister is expected to meet with President Trump this week to discuss the future of Gaza and broader regional issues.

Keith Siegel was abducted along with his wife in the October 2023 Hamas-led attack. His wife was freed in a previous cease-fire.

Hamas freed three Israelis and five Thai nationals in exchange for more than 100 Palestinians. But the militant group struggled to control crowds, prompting a delay.

Mr. Deif was assassinated in an Israeli strike on southern Gaza on July 13, Israel said. He was one of the most senior Hamas leaders inside the territory and one of Israel’s most-wanted militants.

Hamas released eight hostages, including three Israelis and five Thais, as part of a hostage-for-prisoner exchange.

Legislation that goes into effect on Thursday bars UNRWA from operating in the country. That will affect aid delivery to Gaza and beyond.

The release planned for Thursday would be the third so far as Israel and Hamas observe a six-week truce, part of a multiphase agreement that mediators hope will end the war in Gaza.

For nearly 16 months, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have lived in tents, barred from returning to northern Gaza. On Monday, Israel allowed them to walk back.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s orders could force many groups working on global aid to stop their programs. And the White House has approved sending more 2,000-pound bombs to Israel.

Before their release, the hostages, four female soldiers, were led onto a stage in Gaza City, surrounded by masked, uniformed fighters.

Israel is preventing movement to the north of Gaza until plans are set for the release of Arbel Yehud, one of the last civilian women held in Gaza.

The directive came in a letter to the U.N., after the Israeli Parliament banned the relief agency that has aided Palestinian refugees for decades.

Hundreds of truckloads of food, fuel and other supplies have arrived in Gaza each day since the cease-fire took effect. But the need is vast after 15 months of war.

Hamas identified four female soldiers abducted from a military base as those who will be freed in the next exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The fate of the Israel-Hamas agreement will require huge effort.

More than 30 hostages are set to be released during the cease-fire in Gaza. But many Israelis have mixed feelings about the deal because they feel it came at a high price.

The announcement came shortly after President Trump rescinded Biden-era sanctions on Israeli settlers and Jewish extremists raided Palestinian villages in protest against the cease-fire in Gaza.