Israel’s government and military are preparing for the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, they said early Saturday after Hamas made a similar statement – marking a potential breakthrough after months of failed efforts to end the war.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump embraced on the ground in Tel Aviv as Israelis marked the long-awaited release of hostages from Hamas. Follow our live coverage here.

The Israeli government has approved Gaza's ceasefire and hostage deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said early on Friday.

A 72-hour window for Hamas to release all of the remaining hostages began on Friday ... After days of negotiations last week, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire deal for Gaza.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel on Monday returned the remains of 15 Palestinians to Gaza in the latest step forward for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, as a top White House envoy met with Israeli leaders to discuss the next stages of the fragile agreement.

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 20 people, including children, after Israel accused Hamas of violating the US-brokered ceasefire deal and staging the discovery of a deceased hostage.

Hamas released the bodies of two captives on Thursday as the tenuous cease-fire with Israel holds following a week of conflict and failed hostage exchanges. The Israel Defense Forces received two caskets carrying the bodies from the Red Cross, with the ...