The Palestinian Authority must be the sole governing power in Gaza after the war, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said on Wednesday, as expectations grew that a deal to halt fighting and start returning Israeli hostages was near.

Mohammad Mustafa is Prime Minister of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which rules parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Popular support for the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has been in steady decline. Now, to burnish its credentials, the Authority is taking on a militant stronghold in Jenin. The high-risk move is further dividing Palestinian society.

Hamas condemned the Palestinian Authority for attempting to "assassinate" members of the terror group, Hamas posted on Telegram Saturday. Hamas leader Abdul Rahman Shadid claimed, "What happened in Tulkarm Governorate,

Israeli forces have intensified military operations across the occupied West Bank, resulting in the deaths of at least three Palestinians. These actions follow a recent attack near a Jewish settlement that left three Israelis dead.