The returnees reunited with families but also said their homecomings carried symbolic weight — defying any schemes to permanently displace Gazans.

Israel has expressed anger after the interim government for Gaza replaced its logo with the one used by the Palestinian Authority (PA ). The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which sits under Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, is tasked with the day-to-day running of the war-torn Strip as part of the US-brokered peace process.

Israel says the remains of the final hostage in Gaza have been recovered, clearing the way for the next phase of the ceasefire that stopped the Israel-Hamas war.

That made it a metaphorical lifeline for many Palestinians — a vital connection to the rest of the world. When the attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, ignited the war with Hamas, Rafah became the only potential escape route from Gaza, and tens of thousands flocked to the south in hopes of fleeing the conflict.

While Israel has faced sharp criticism over its war in Gaza, start-up executives say foreigners are eager to buy systems developed and tested on the battlefield.

President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner laid out a plan for a "New Gaza." A close look suggests it makes room for fewer Palestinians and less housing.

Israel has announced that it was terminating Doctors Without Borders' humanitarian operations in Gaza after the charity failed to provide a list of Palestinian staff, a move that the organisation said was a "pretext" to obstruct aid to the war-devastated territory.