Some troops had been expected to withdraw to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans to go home. But Israel said the hostage exchange before that step had not gone as agreed. Hamas accused Israel of stalling.

The first phase of the deal reached between Hamas and Israel on Wednesday includes a pause in the war and the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli custody.

After intense negotiations, Israel and Hamas have reached a deal that would see a ceasefire and the exchange of hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners.