Tensions Deepen in Gaza as Trump Envoys Scramble to Save Violated Ceasefire
JERUSALEM — On a tense Monday in Israel, as the frail Gaza ceasefire encountered its most serious challenge since its inception just over a week ago, a delegation of high-ranking U.S. officials touched down in Tel Aviv. Their mission was clear yet daunting — to salvage the Trump-brokered agreement that has teetered dangerously close to collapse after a deadly weekend surge in violence left dozens dead and both sides hurling accusations of treachery.
Leading the visiting delegation were Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a closed-door session described by insiders as “urgent and uncompromising.” A government spokesperson said the talks focused on “developments and updates in the region,” though sources suggest the envoys warned Netanyahu to exercise restraint. In blunt terms, one U.S. source quoted the envoys telling Israeli officials, “Do not act in a way that would endanger the ceasefire. We are determined to move into the second phase of the peace framework.”
The diplomacy continues on Tuesday, when Vice President JD Vance is expected to arrive in Israel for additional consultations. The Israel Airports Authority confirmed preparations for the vice president’s arrival, underscoring Washington’s heightened involvement.
This latest intervention follows a sharp escalation on Sunday, when Israel unleashed its deadliest wave of strikes on Gaza since the October 10 ceasefire began. The strikes were triggered by Israeli military claims that Hamas fighters had ambushed and killed two soldiers in the southern city of Rafah. In retaliation, Israel launched sweeping air raids across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 45 Palestinians, many of them civilians. Humanitarian aid deliveries were briefly suspended before being restored Monday under pressure from Washington.
Hamas has publicly denied orchestrating the Rafah attack, saying it lost contact with local fighters months ago. Meanwhile, Gaza’s health authorities claim that since the ceasefire took effect, at least 97 Palestinians have been killed and 230 wounded, alleging more than 80 Israeli breaches of the agreement. Much of the violence has clustered around the so-called “yellow line,” a buffer zone marking the territory from which Israeli forces recently pulled back but still oversee more than half of Gaza’s land.
Amid this turbulence, efforts to revive diplomacy have gathered in Cairo, where Hamas delegation chief Khalil al-Hayya convened with Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The talks centered on reigning in violence and preparing for unity discussions among Palestinian factions. These negotiations are critical to advancing the second phase of President Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, which calls for gradual Hamas disarmament, deeper Israeli withdrawals, and the establishment of a multilateral interim authority to govern Gaza.
Speaking from Washington, President Trump sought to project cautious optimism, acknowledging that while the ceasefire technically holds, Hamas leadership has been “quite rambunctious,” remarking that much of the recent turmoil may be the work of “rebels” rather than sanctioned Hamas command. Despite the explosions, the president emphasized that the agreement — which has enabled limited prisoner exchanges and humanitarian access — remains the most substantive diplomatic progress in the two-year Gaza conflict that has already claimed more than 68,000 Palestinian lives and reshaped regional alliances since Hamas’s assault on October 7, 2023.
As international observers watch closely, U.S. officials hope that this delicate blend of pressure and diplomacy can breathe new life into an agreement that hangs by a thread. For now, calm remains elusive, and the world waits to see if Trump’s envoys can pull Gaza back from the edge.
