Israel and Hamas are set to carry out their third exchange of hostages and prisoners on Thursday as part of a ceasefire agreement that has halted fighting in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is due to release three Israelis and five Thai citizens. Israel is releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners.

After 15 months, the Israel-Hamas war that decimated the Gaza Strip and destabilized the Middle East has come to a ceasefire with a three-phase peace deal. The deal seeks to put a permanent end to the war and will see hostages held by Hamas in Gaza being exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The attack in Tulkarem comes as Israeli raids on the nearby Jenin area of the occupied West Bank enter a seventh day.

Zakaria Zubeidi, a former leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, was released as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Zubeidi, who had avoided capture for years and had been involved in high-profile militancy activities,

The Israeli military on Monday said it had "eliminated over 15 terrorists" and arrested 40 wanted people during a major raid that began last week in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, aiming to reinforce Israel’s fragile ceasefire with Hamas militants in Gaza after more than 15 months of warfare.

As Israel withdraws some of its troops from Gaza during a cease-fire there, it has turned attention to another Palestinian territory — in particular a city with a history of militant activity.

In a wide-ranging interview with MEE, Basem Naim discusses escalations in the West Bank, future governance in Gaza and the Syrian revolution

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the operation saying that it is intended to “eradicate terrorism” in the area

A Palestinian official said hundreds of people began leaving their homes in a flashpoint area of the West Bank on Thursday as Israeli forces pressed a deadly operation there.The Israeli military launched this week a raid in the Jenin area,

Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, said the two killed on Monday were members of its armed wing. Witnesses in the city said a raid was underway but there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed that two people had been killed, without identifying them.