The first stage of a cease-fire deal between Hamas and the Israeli government has gone into effect, but there is still no guarantee the remaining phases of the deal will be completed, leading to a permanent cease-fire.

Egypt and Jordan have both rejected the suggestion by US President Donald Trump that Gaza should be “cleaned out” and what remains of its pre-war population of 2.3 million moved to the two neighbouring countries.

US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his proposal to “clean out” Gaza by removing Palestinians living there to Jordan and Egypt, a plan which has appalled some allies but has been quickly embraced by Israel’s far right.

Nothing we’ve heard so far from the Israeli state gives confidence that the agreement will last past the first phase.

Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich had threatened to quit the government if it did not return to fighting at the end of the six-week ceasefire.

"There are more than 1.5 million people who have grown up for generations with hate for Israel and antisemitism," the Israeli finance minister told JNS.

The full scale of the humanitarian challenge ahead is emerging as displaced Palestinians return home, writes the BBC's Paul Adams.

Far-right finance minster says he is working on an 'operational plan' to turn idea into actionable policy; Otzma Yehudit leader says mass emigration is the 'humanitarian answer' The post Smotrich and Ben Gvir rally behind Trump’s Gaza emigration idea appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has withdrawn a threat to quit the government if Israel does not return to fighting in Gaza, several Israeli news sites reported on Monday.

The post Smotrich says he’s working to turn Trump idea of resettling Gazans into policy appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Mediator Qatar announced early Monday that an agreement has been reached to release an Israeli civilian hostage and allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, easing the first major crisis of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

US President Donald Trump said Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza, a suggestion rejected by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that runs the enclave, and apparently rebuffed by the Jordanian foreign minister.