U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in a bid to keep the fragile Gaza ceasefire on track after a surge of violence over the weekend threatened to derail the week-old truce.
Both Israel and Hamas have recommitted to the ceasefire plan brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, but renewed clashes have raised doubts about whether the momentum towards peace can be sustained.
The latest escalation followed a Palestinian attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and prompted an Israeli bombardment in which at least 28 people were reported dead in Gaza. Despite these setbacks, Washington is pressing ahead with diplomacy to prevent a collapse of the agreement and to begin discussions on the next, more complex phase of the 20-step plan aimed at ending two years of war in Gaza.
President Trump, who has described the ceasefire as a hallmark of his second-term foreign policy, said the United States was taking steps to preserve the truce. He told reporters that the “Hamas situation” would be handled quickly but ruled out deploying U.S. troops on the ground. While he blamed internal rebellion within Hamas for breaches of the agreement, Trump warned that the United States would act decisively if the group’s leadership failed to restore discipline.
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During their visit, Kushner and Witkoff were expected to meet Netanyahu and other Israeli officials before heading to Cairo for talks with Hamas representatives. Vice-President J.D. Vance is also due in Israel on Tuesday to continue discussions on regional stability and opportunities for cooperation. U.S. officials say the diplomatic push underlines Washington’s determination to cement what Trump last week called “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
Tensions remained high on Monday, with Palestinian medics reporting three deaths from Israeli tank fire near the so-called “yellow line” marking Israel’s initial pullback from Gaza’s populated areas. The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on militants who crossed the line, which is being marked with concrete barriers and yellow poles at regular intervals. Residents in Gaza City said confusion persisted over the line’s exact location, with one man in Tuffah saying, “The whole area is in ruins. We saw the maps, but we can’t tell where those lines are.”
Israel has said it will not announce progress in the ceasefire talks until more hostages’ remains are recovered. On Monday, the Red Cross handed over the body of another hostage to Israeli authorities, and officials believe Hamas could return up to five more bodies soon. However, recovery of others may prove difficult because of the destruction across the enclave.
In Cairo, Hamas’ exiled Gaza chief, Khalil Al-Hayya, was due to attend meetings on the implementation of the ceasefire. A Palestinian official close to the talks said discussions would focus on forming a technocratic body to run Gaza without Hamas representation. Hamas and allied groups have rejected any foreign administration of Gaza, as proposed in the Trump plan, and continue to resist calls to disarm a sticking point that threatens the broader peace effort.
Israel has accused Hamas of repeated violations of the ceasefire, while Hamas has alleged that Israeli actions have killed dozens and blocked vital supplies from reaching the enclave. Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that any Hamas fighters remaining in areas still under Israeli control must withdraw immediately or face military action without warning.
