Bloodshed over the weekend highlighted the brittleness of the cease-fires in both places. Still, Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah each have reasons to postpone a new escalation, at least for a few weeks.

Long lines of Palestinians -- some kneeling to kiss the soil as they stepped into the northern part of the strip -- were making their way home on Monday.

Israel has begun allowing Palestinians to return to the heavily destroyed north of the Gaza Strip for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, in accordance with a fragile

Tens of thousands of Palestinians returned to the most heavily destroyed part of the Gaza Strip on Monday as Israel lifted its closure of the north for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas in accordance with a fragile ceasefire.

Masses of Palestinians, who were displaced by months of war, began moving towards the north of the Gaza Strip on Monday after Israel and Hamas said they had reached a deal for the release of another six hostages.

Any prolonged Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon could breathe new life into Hezbollah, a group that was founded to liberate Lebanon from Israeli occupation and has portrayed itself as the only force capable of protecting Lebanon’s borders,

Hamas released four female Israeli hostages on Saturday, in a second round of exchanges between Israel and Hamas which also saw around 200 Palestinian prisoners released from detention.

After a faltering start, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect last Sunday. Fergal Keane has been reporting on the conflict from the outset and was on Israel's border with Gaza last weekend – here he reflects on the human cost of the war and what the future might hold.

They had been due to travel north of the Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land controlled by Israel, on Saturday.

Israel's war on Gaza has inflicted a catastrophic toll on children, with over 13,000 killed, approximately 25,000 injured, and another

BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel kept thousands of Palestinians from returning to their homes in northern Gaza on Sunday as it accused