A masked Hamas fighter stands guard next to children before handing over a second batch of Israeli hostages in central Gaza on Oct. 13. Hamas has been quickly reasserting its presence in Gaza.

A hundred and fifty metres from the city centre of Khan Younis, an armed group says it has asserted control over a small area the group is calling a humanitarian area, a unique slice of embattled Gaza wrested from the grasp of the Hamas leaders who have ruled the area for decades.

Now, under a tenuous ceasefire, the enclave appears to offer a hint of a different future for the war-ravaged region.

Here's what you need to know about Gaza and the Israel-Hamas war, including the ceasefire deal, the toll of the war so far and what comes next.

“We are actually holding territory and fighting Hamas and

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