Senior members of President Donald Trump’s diplomatic team arrived in Israel on Monday as the United States seeks to hold together the fragile Gaza ceasefire and intensify efforts to implement phase two of the peace agreement.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Vice President JD Vance, who is set to arrive in Israel on Tuesday. The move marks Washington’s efforts to bring momentum to Trump’s peace plan and move into the second phase of the landmark agreement brokered earlier this month, which will focus on fully disarming Hamas and establishing a new governance in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hamas negotiators are set to meet Qatari and Egyptian officials in Cairo on Monday to discuss the continuation of the Gaza ceasefire, according to the Times of Israel. Qatar and Egypt played key mediating roles in helping Trump broker the peace deal with Hamas and Israel.
The meetings come after Israel was rattled over the weekend by attacks that killed two members of the country’s military. After Hamas was accused of repeatedly violating the ceasefire, Netanyahu carried out airstrikes targeting Hamas-occupied Gaza and cut off humanitarian aid that had begun flowing into the war-torn area.
However, aid began pouring back into Gaza Monday, with an Israeli security official saying that aid would enter through the Kerem Shalom Crossing, according to NBC News and other outlets.
The development follows Trump’s comments to reporters on Air Force One Sunday evening, in which he said the ceasefire is “still in place” as the U.S. works to smooth over tensions.
The president said he believes that rogue “rebels within Hamas,” as opposed to the terrorist organization’s leadership, were likely responsible for killing two IDF soldiers, and pledged to “deal with this harshly.”
GAZA CEASEFIRE ‘RENEWED’ AFTER STRIKES ON HAMAS, IDF SAYS
He also revealed that Hamas is expected to return the body of another Israeli hostage on Monday evening local time.
Of the 28 deceased hostages in Gaza, 16 have yet to be returned, sparking outcry in Israel over the terrorist group’s sluggish implementation of a key tenet of the ceasefire deal.
