The leader of the Islamic militant group Hamas vowed to continue fighting Israel yesterday, as hundreds of thousands of flag-waving Gazans turned out to celebrate the organisation's 25th anniversary. Khaled Meshaal's visit to the Palestinian territory – a first since he went into exile in 1967 – underscores Hamas's rising clout and regional acceptance since its eight-day conflict with Israel last month.

Hamas' exiled political leader pledges to work with Fatah on his first visit to Gaza since 1967

Khaled Meshaal is making his first visit in 45 years to celebrate the founding of the group

For eight days, the sounds of illegal commerce at the ragged southern edge of the Gaza Strip were silenced by the pounding thrum of battle.

Israel and Hamas on Monday resumed indirect discussions over their fragile cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, a top Hamas official said, but he warned that violence could flare again if negotiators did not quickly come to an agreement.

The people of Huj - now almost forgotten - had helped the Jewish Haganah army escape the British. The thanks they got was to be sent into Gaza as refugees

In Gaza, one-in-three of those killed or injured is under 18

With his decree, Mr Morsi has reversed many gains of the 2011 uprising

Our correspondent meets the legendary Uri Avnery, who roars out against Netanyahu and his government and foresees growing ethnic strife in Israel

Israel and Hamas are seeking to solidify an Egyptian and US-brokered cease-fire halting eight days of aerial assaults that ravaged the Gaza Strip and made Tel Aviv a missile target.

Groups linked to both sides of the conflict have spent over £130,000 since the last UK general election on taking Parliamentarians to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

As a hard-won ceasefire in Gaza appeared to be holding, ending eight days of conflict in which some 150 Palestinians and six Israelis died, Israeli forces swooped on Palestinian suspects in the West Bank early today, arresting 55 people and vowing “to prevent the infiltration of terrorists into Israeli communities.”

Celebratory gunfire crackled across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday night as Palestinians hailed what they called a victory by Hamas in forcing an end to Israeli attacks.

Since the revolutions in the Arab world, Gaza is no longer without allies, but with friends like these, who needs Israelis?