Two of US President Donald Trump’s envoys traveled to Israel Tuesday to shore up the tenuous ceasefire in Gaza, a day after the fragile deal was tested by a major flareup of violence.
On Sunday, Israel had threatened to halt shipments of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and its forces killed dozens in strikes there after accusing Hamas militants of killing two soldiers. Israel said late in the day it had resumed enforcing the ceasefire.
The delivery of food and other aid into the devastated territory will begin again Monday (local time) through multiple crossings after Israeli inspection, in line with the ceasefire agreement, according to an Israeli security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media. By afternoon, it was not immediately clear if the flow of aid had restarted.
Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said that US special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about developments in the region.
US Vice President JD Vance and the second lady, Usha Vance, are scheduled to visit the country Tuesday and meet with Netanyahu, the prime minister said in a speech in which he also warned Hamas that any attacks against Israeli forces would be met with “a very heavy price”.
A fragile truce
More than a week has passed since the start of the US-proposed truce aimed at ending two years of war. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Hamas has been “quite rambunctious” and “they’ve been doing some shooting”.
He also suggested that the violence might be the fault of “rebels” within the organisation rather than its leadership.
Since the ceasefire started, Hamas security forces have returned to the streets in Gaza, clashing with armed groups and killing alleged gangsters in what the militant group says is an attempt to restore law and order in areas where Israeli troops have withdrawn.
On Sunday, Israel’s military said militants had fired at troops in areas of Rafah city that are Israeli-controlled according to agreed-upon ceasefire lines.
Retaliatory strikes by Israel killed 45 people in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which says a total of 80 people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect on October 11.
Hamas, which continued to accuse Israel of multiple ceasefire violations, said communication with its remaining units in Rafah had been cut off for months and “we are not responsible for any incidents occurring in those areas”.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is still waiting for Hamas to turn over the bodies of 16 remaining hostages. Twelve bodies have already been returned to Israel, and Hamas said it planned to return one more late Monday.
The next stage of ceasefire
The next stage is expected to focus on disarming Hamas, Israeli withdrawal from additional areas it controls in Gaza, and future governance of the devastated territory. The US plan proposes the establishment of an internationally backed authority.
In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes news program on the weekend, Kushner said the success or failure of the deal would depend on whether Israel and the international mechanism could create a viable alternative to Hamas.
“If they are successful, Hamas will fail, and Gaza will not be a threat to Israel in the future,” he said.
A Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya was in Cairo to follow up on the implementation of the ceasefire deal with mediators and other Palestinian groups.
Fears ceasefire may not hold upPalestinians in Gaza are wary that the deal may fall apart after the flare-up.
Funeral services were held for some of the dozens of people killed earlier by Israeli strikes across the strip. Associated Press footage showed mourners lining up for funeral prayers behind bodies draped in white sheets.
“There should be concerns as long as the matters have yet to be settled,” said Hossam Ahmed, a displaced person from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
There is also concern about how much aid Israel is letting into Gaza, which is part of the agreement.
In their October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war, Hamas-led militants killed around 1200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people as hostages.
The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.
Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross.
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