"I returned yesterday and stayed next to the rubble of the house, not knowing where to go," 19-year-old Mohamed Abu Ghaly told ABC News.

The ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas stretched into a fifth day on Thursday. Humanitarian aid groups are working to surge food and supplies to the war-ravaged territory as Palestinians scour through mountains of rubble.

For all the military might Israel deployed in Gaza, it failed to remove Hamas from power, one of its central war aims.

It took us a few minutes to accept that this pile of rubble was our home,” said Islam Dahliz, whose family was ordered by Israeli forces to evacuate Rafah in May.

Hamas gunmen are guarding aid convoys in Gaza, and its police patrol city streets, sending a clear message: Hamas remains in charge.

The ceasefire came into effect Sunday after an initial three-hour delay, during which almost 20 more Palestinians were killed, according to medics in the decimated Palestinian territory. Under the terms of the deal,

Israel’s defense minister has announced a series of raids that he says are targeting “terrorism” in the occupied West Bank, as Palestinian officials warned of a “man-made disaster.”

Palestinians burst into the streets to celebrate and return to the rubble of their bombed-out homes on Sunday after a ceasefire deal halted fighting in Gaza, and three female hostages freed by Hamas were reunited with their mothers inside Israel.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza reduces the risks to Israel's public finances and could improve its sovereign credit rating, the major credit rating agencies said on Tuesday.

In Gaza, a ceasefire continues as humanitarian aid pours in, but Israeli tank fire kills two Palestinians. There's a significant toll on children, with many in need of mental health support. Meanwhile,

Palestinians returned home in Gaza amid a ceasefire, while Israeli forces launched a major operation in Jenin, killing two Hamas militants involved in a recent attack. View on euronews