Senate Majority Leader John Thune and GOP firebrand senators are among those voicing discomfort with the deal.

Former Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) weighed in on President Trump’s trip to the Middle East, saying Tuesday that the decision not to visit Israel sends a clear message about his stance on the

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is “no way” Israel will halt its war in Gaza, even if a deal is reached to release more hostages.

The agreement to release Edan Alexander came after talks between Washington and Hamas that did not include Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military will enter Gaza "with full force" in the coming days, despite ongoing ceasefire efforts and the release of a US-Israeli hostage from the war-ravaged territory.

Israel called on Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, to "stop playing both sides with its double talk and decide if it's on the side of civilization or if it's on the side of Hamas", the Israeli Prime Minister's office said on Saturday.

For Trump, a president who often boasts about "holding the cards" in high-stakes negotiations—most famously during a heated encounter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in late February—Lipner felt the U.S. leader once again appears to have the necessary leverage to get his way.

When President Trump visits the Middle East this coming week — spending four days in a trio of Arabian Gulf nations — his most controversial stop will be Qatar.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has lifted on Monday a ban imposed on operations of Qatar's Al Jazeera television in the territory, with the broadcaster set to resume operations on Tuesday, the network's bureau chief in Palestine Walid Omary said.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East this week as scheduled won’t include a trip to Israel to discuss the war in Gaza or talks with Iran about its nuclear program