A statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry said the leaders will gather on Feb. 27 amid alarm in the region over President Trump's proposals regarding the future of Gaza.

The exchanges are part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

He says the military should prepare exit options by land, sea and air so that anyone who wishes to can leave for "any country willing to accept them."

Most Gaza residents are the descendants of Palestinian refugees driven to the enclave in a 1948 war. They harbor a deep fear of being uprooted again, and President Trump's remarks struck a raw nerve.

It wasn't immediately clear what legal authority Trump would have to execute his proposals, and they would likely be met by fierce resistance from Palestinians and from regional Arab countries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the first world leader to visit President Trump at the White House since his inauguration.

Syria's interim president says the now departed Iranian forces were damaging to his country and also posed a threat to the wider Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be the first foreign leader to visit the White House since President Trump's return to office, in a crucial meeting for the future of the Middle East.

Siegel is the first American to be released as part of this deal. A total of 18 hostages have been released since the ceasefire took effect. Hundreds of Palestinians have been released so far.

Three more Israeli and five Thai hostages have been released by Palestinian militants from captivity and returned to Israel, after being held for more than 15 months in Gaza.

Steve Witkoff helped negotiate the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal. His visit to Gaza on Wednesday was the first by a senior U.S. official in more than a decade.

Sharaa was already de facto head of Syria's government ever since a coalition of rebel fighters swept through most of Syria and ousted Assad's regime.

The long trek home by Palestinians comes as mediators helped end twin crises over ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon.

Meanwhile, close to the Israeli border in southern Lebanon, Israeli troops opened fire on protesters who were urging them to pull back from the area.

With a ceasefire agreement pausing the war between Israel and Hamas, Israeli troops have withdrawn from Gaza city centers. For the first time in eight months, NPR got a glimpse of Rafah this week.