Italy says monitoring mission, which was halted when Hamas seized control of Strip in 2007, 'was launched at the request of Israel and the PA'

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.

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.

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.

A truce in the brutal war that began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks trades 3 Israeli hostages for 100 Palestinian prisoners. No American is on the list.

The European Union has restarted its civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt at Rafah, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday.

Gaza Between 300 and 350 lorries carrying humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza every day since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect on January 19, providing much needed relief for the devastated enclave.

DOHA, January 30. /TASS/. The Hamas movement is keeping an eye on the situation related to Israel’s decision to suspend the release of Palestinian prisoners, the Qatar-based Al Araby TV channel reported, citing a Hamas source.

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.

The European Union agreed Monday to restart a monitoring mission at the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt as part of efforts to bolster the truce that halted Israel's war on the enclave.

Israel delayed the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza for two days because they accused Hamas of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement by not releasing Yehoud, a civilian, on Saturday. Palestinians began returning to the north on Monday morning after negotiations.