Under the cease-fire deal, Israel released 250 Palestinians serving long sentences for violent attacks. More than 1,700 others had been detained in Gaza and held without charge.

The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which took hold on Oct. 10, remains in place as of Wednesday afternoon, local time, despite reports of clashes in Gaza and accusations of violations from both sides.

A collective funeral ceremony was held Wednesday in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, for 54 unidentified Palestinians whose bodies were returned from Israel, the Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD) reported.

Vice President JD Vance urged "patience" as Israel waits for the return of all the hostages' remains from Hamas.

Archaeologists recently uncovered a 1,500-year-old synagogue in Israel's Golan Heights, revealing new evidence of ancient Jewish presence in the biblical region.

Several top U.S. officials are in Israel to shore up the Gaza ceasefire and attempt to bring about a permanent end to the war. They acknowledge the next phase poses serious challenges.

Zohran Mamdani, who would be the city’s first Muslim mayor, could be on the cusp of shattering that convention.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted on Wednesday that he would be opposed to any role for Turkish security forces in the Gaza Strip. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the United States and others must do more to push Israel to stop violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement,