By Steven Scheer and Nidal al-Mughrabi JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Aid trucks rolled into Gaza on Wednesday and Israel resumed preparations to open the main Rafah crossing as Hamas handed over more bodies of dead hostages,

Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday declined to say Hamas should disarm and relinquish power following

Two American citizens, Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, remain among deceased hostages held by Hamas as terror group violates hostage exchange agreement.

A greatly weakened Hamas has sought to reassert itself in Gaza since a ceasefire took hold, killing at least 33 people in a crackdown on groups that have tested its grip and appearing to get a U.S. nod to temporarily police the shattered enclave.

According to the terms of a cease-fire brokered by international mediators last week, Israel and Hamas would stop fighting and the militant group would return all the hostages it held — both living captives and the bodies of those who had died, totaling 48 people — in exchange for the freeing of Palestinians held by Israel, among other provisions.

Côte Saint-Luc held a commemorative event Monday for victims of Oct. 7, including Montrealer Alexandre Look. Others in Montreal are welcoming the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages and prisoners,

Hamas hastened Tuesday to ease the pressure on a fragile ceasefire in its war with Israel by returning the bodies of more dead hostages. The move came after an Israeli military agency said it would slash aid deliveries to Gaza by half over concerns that the militant group was handing remains over slower than agreed.