Hamas stood by its demand on Tuesday that Israel fully end its assault on Gaza under any deal to release hostages, and said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was rash to say there would be "hell to pay" unless they go free by his Jan.

US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming special envoy to the Middle East said negotiators were on the verge of a deal to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas in its war against Israel.

The post Trump’s Middle East envoy says he’s heading to Qatar as hostage deal nearing appeared first on The Times of Israel.

The Israeli military launched a wave of raids across the occupied West Bank overnight and into Tuesday, killing at least three Palestinians who it said were militants.

Israel pounded the Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing at least 23 people according to rescuers, nearly 15 months into the war with Hamas Palestinian militants.Far from Gaza, Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah have traded accusations of violating a ceasefire that ended their war,

Israeli and Hamas representatives will resume ceasefire talks in Qatar. Rebel forces in Syria are building a transitional government after toppling the regime of President Bashar Assad in a lightning-quick advance across the country.