In the midst of a renewed Israeli military campaign and a U.S. proposal to take ownership of the Gaza Strip, a senior Israeli diplomat has told Newsweek that the country had no plans to govern the war-battered Palestinian territory once Hamas was defeated.

Houthis fire missiles at Israel • IDF in Rafah area • IDF operates in West Bank • IDF strikes terrorist in Lebanon • Egyptian security delegation heads to Qatar for Gaza deal talks

Palestinian militant groups threatened punishment on Thursday for "collaborators" furthering Israeli goals after the first substantial protests against the war in Gaza and Hamas' rule.

Hamas’s grip on the enclave appears more fragile than ever, as Palestinian protesters gather in the streets in a rare display of defiance against the militant group.

Gaza-watchers never thought would come – could ever come – appears to have finally arrived. This week, for the first time since Hamas’s attack on Israel two Octobers ago, Gazans took to the streets to demand the terror organisation end its bloody reign over their blighted strip.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people gathered for the second straight day in Beit Lahiya, some chanting “Hamas out! Hamas is terrorism!” and “We want to live freely.” There was another smaller protest in Gaza City,