Critics worry that the creation of 'alternative safe communities' may tip the enclave into permanent division.

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israel handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians on Wednesday, a day after Hamas returned the remains of an Israeli hostage. This is the latest exchange as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire reached last month, whose first phase is winding down even as violence continues in Palestinian territories.

About 91% of all homes in Gaza are now destroyed or damaged, leaving the majority of the population without safe, permanent shelter, the U.N.'s OCHA said.

The handover means the bodies of two deceased hostages are still being held in Gaza six weeks after the ceasefire began.

President Donald Trump's approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine war mirrors his tactics in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In the first six weeks since Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas reached a truce deal aimed at ending their two-year war, Israeli attacks in Gaza have been reported almost daily.

We’re pleased that we have here a serious contribution towards the healthcare of children in Gaza,” Caritas Secretary-General Alistair Dutton told a news conference in Bethlehem.

The foundation had already closed distribution sites after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in Gaza six weeks ago.

Israel handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians on Wednesday, a day after Hamas returned the remains of an Israeli hostage.

A teenager’s painful search in destroyed Shuja'iyya reveals the scale of Gaza’s devastation - and trapped casualties