Israeli forces ordered dozens of Palestinian families in the southern Gaza Strip to leave their homes in the first forced evacuation since October's ceasefire, as residents and Hamas said on Tuesday the military was expanding the area it controls.

Celebratory music blasting from loudspeakers mixed with the sounds of construction, almost drowning out calls to prayer from a mosque in the Palestinian town across this West Bank valley. Orthodox Jewish women in colorful head coverings,

Under the protection of Israeli forces, bulldozers began tearing down buildings in the compound belonging to the UN Relief and Works Agency in East Jerusalem, which was one of the agency’s key sites until Israel ordered it to cease operating there last year.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that the Gaza executive committee was "not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy."

Israel’s government is objecting to a White House announcement about leaders overseeing the next steps in Gaza as the ceasefire enters its challenging second phase.

The Israeli leader has vowed to spend 350 billion shekels ($110 billion) on developing an independent arms industry to reduce dependency on other countries.

Greece will cooperate with Israel on anti-drone systems and cybersecurity, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said on Tuesday after meeting his Israeli counterpart in

Aspiring-journalist Avci moved to Israel from Turkey five years ago. Last week, Instagram influencer Tal The Traveler posted a video in which he asked Avci if she is a Zionist.