The Israeli military said that the detained people were Hamas members who were planning attacks against Israel, and that they were taken to Israel for questioning.

After Israel killed his two predecessors, Ezzedin al-Haddad takes over a group that is battered and depleted of veterans—but still deadly.

The confirmation of Mr Sinwar’s death changes little in and of itself. Hamas has already appointed a replacement and it has weathered the killings of many of its bosses. But it could shift the balance within the movement’s leadership, formerly dominated by Gazans, just as Israel once again increases pressure on the coastal strip.

Israeli troops entered southwestern Syria in the early hours of Thursday and arrested several people who the Israeli military said were members of Palestinian militant group Hamas but which Syria's interior ministry said were civilians.

As Abu Shabab and his militia continue to fend off the allegations, Basem Naim, Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson, asserted that the group had little influence in Gaza, marking an apparent blow to Israel's efforts to challenge Hamas' rule in the territory.

The Israeli military announced it has recovered the body of Mohammed Sinwar, a deceased ex-Hamas leader, from a tunnel located

Hamas leaders outside the strip – currently based in Doha, Beirut and Istanbul – "have the upper hand once again". They are "expected to support" a ceasefire deal "relinquishing Hamas' post-war role in Gaza but preserving its standing in the Arab world".

Portland State University President Ann Cudd’s decision to open an investigation into a faculty member who was captured on video self-identifying as a member of Hamas during a recent demonstration has magnified a still-yawning divide on the downtown campus over the conflict in the Middle East.