Even before it was signed, the Gaza ceasefire forced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a tight spot - between a new U.S. president promising peace and far-right allies who want war to resume.

Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump at the White House next week, the US and Israel have confirmed. The Israeli Prime Minister and US President will meet on February 4 amid a fragile six-week ceasefire that has brought a temporary pause to 15 months of fighting between Israel and the militant group Hamas in Gaza.

In a speech as Israel awaited the release of the first hostages on Saturday, Mr Netanyahu said both president Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the president-elect, had promised him Israel had the right to resume the fighting “in new ways and with very great power” if Hamas violated the deal.

The release was delayed by a chaotic scene in which a crowd of Palestinians surrounded and jeered at hostages as they were turned over to the Red Cross.

Hamas is set to free three more Israeli hostages as well as five Thai captives, and Israel is to release another 110 Palestinian prisoners

Israel delayed the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners for several hours after broadcast images showed crowds jostling and cheering in Gaza as Israeli and Thai hostages were handed over to the Red Cross earlier that day.