Palestinians have chanted against Hamas during anti-war protests in the Gaza Strip. It's a rare show of public anger against the militant group that has long repressed dissent. Hamas is weakened but still rules the territory 17 months into the war with Israel. Protesters say they chanted against Israel, Hamas, the Western-backed Palestinian Authority and Arab mediators. Hamas has violently cracked down on previous protests. The protests came days after Israel's renewed offensive shattered a ceasefire. It also has tightened its blockade on all supplies into Gaza.

The families of hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza say time is of the essence to rescue their loved ones following the killing of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, by Israeli troops in Gaza. They are extremely worried that Sinwar's death might endanger their loved ones even more by prompting retaliation from the hostages' captors. They also say that killing Sinwar presents Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a opportunity to claim victory on one of his war goals, destroying Hamas politically, and pivot the the second, returning the hostages.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas says it has chosen Yahya Sinwar, its top official in Gaza who masterminded the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, as its new leader. The choice of Sinwar, a secretive figure who leads Hamas' hardliners and is close to Iran, was a defiant step. Sinwar is at the top of Israel's kill list as it seeks to destroy Hamas and its leadership after the Oct. 7 attack. He replaces Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran last week in a presumed Israeli strike. Unlike Haniyeh, who had lived in exile in Qatar for years, Sinwar has remained in Gaza.