Hamas has survived Israel’s 15-month war in the Gaza Strip. Now, the militant group is replenishing its ranks, although restocking its weapons supplies will be more difficult.

For the EU Border Assistance Mission in Rafah to effectively restart it needed a cessation of hostilities between terrorist organisation Hamas and Israel, which happened on 15 January when the two parties to the conflict signed a ceasefire, which then entered into force on 19 January.

The 27-nation bloc set up a civilian mission in 2005 to help monitor the crossing, but it was suspended two years later after the militant Islamist group Hamas took control of Gaza.

A delegation from Palestinian group Hamas arrived in Cairo on Monday to discuss the implementation of ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, the group said in a statement.

Hamas handed Agam Berger over to Israel, the first of eight hostages expected to be released from Gaza on Thursday. In exchange, Israel is set to release 110 Palestinian prisoners, including about 30 people serving life sentences, in the third swap since the Gaza cease-fire and hostages agreement came into effect earlier this month.

Israel is letting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians return to heavily destroyed northern Gaza as part of a fragile ceasefire

Hamas has announced the names of the next four hostages it will release this weekend as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel. The truce is supposed to halt fighting

The European Commission included restrictions on sales of video games and joysticks to Russia in its 16th package of sanctions on Moscow, the proposal document showed.

Hamas has announced the names of the next four hostages it will release this weekend as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel that has halted fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks.

Everyone agrees that EUBAM Rafah can play a decisive role in supporting the ceasefire," said EU High Representative Kaja Kallas.