The sources said that while Hamas has successfully recruited new members, many are young and untrained and are being used for simple security purposes.

Hamas released four Israeli hostages in Gaza early Saturday in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners to be released later in the day. It was the second release to occur as part of the ceasefire agreement that began last weekend. Israel followed with the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel accuses Hamas of breaching ceasefire as thousands of Palestinians blocked from returning to Gaza - Comes as Palestinian man killed and child among seven wounded by Israeli fire overnight, accor

In a rare move hours after the cease-fire took effect, one senior Hamas official said the group wants to engage the new Trump administration.

The group is set to release the more than 90 hostages over the coming weeks as part of the ceasefire deal with Israel.

The deal, mediated by the United States, offered a glimmer of hope in a conflict that has taken an immense human toll.

A cease-fire announced Wednesday will end the 15-month war between Hamas and Israel and includes the eventual release of all hostages held by Hams and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Latest news and live updates as a Gaza ceasefire deal is reached after more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas.

The hostages and 200 prisoners were released in the second swap of the Gaza cease-fire deal, which went into effect this month.

Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, said on Wednesday that he welcomed the potential for “a dialogue” with Hamas and heaped praise on Qatar for helping facilitate the cease-fire deal between Israel and Gaza, despite facing scrutiny for previous ties to the Gulf nation.

Israel says it has killed thousands of the armed group’s members and destroyed much of its infrastructure, but since the cease-fire started Hamas has shown it still holds power in the enclave.