Two senior American diplomats met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, as fresh violence in Gaza cast doubt over a fragile US-brokered ceasefire.
The talks came just hours after Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. The route had been shut down the previous day when two Israeli soldiers were killed, prompting a barrage of Israeli airstrikes across the enclave. Netanyahu said the strikes targeted Hamas positions and involved over 150 tonnes of explosives, accusing the group of violating the truce—an allegation Hamas swiftly denied.
Despite the escalation, both sides publicly affirmed their commitment to maintaining the ceasefire. In Washington, President Donald Trump told reporters the truce “still stands.” His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and adviser Jared Kushner met Netanyahu to review “developments and updates in the region,” according to the prime minister’s office.
Spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian confirmed that US Vice President JD Vance and his wife would also visit Israel “for a few days” to meet with Netanyahu. Addressing Israel’s parliament, Netanyahu said their discussions would center on “security challenges and diplomatic opportunities,” adding, “We will overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities.”
Gaza’s civil defence service reported at least 45 people killed in Sunday’s Israeli strikes, a toll confirmed by several hospitals across the territory. The Israeli army said it was still verifying reports of casualties but stressed it had “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” while reserving the right to respond to any violation.
Hamas officials denied responsibility for the attack that killed the two soldiers, accusing Israel of fabricating “pretexts” to restart the war. A Hamas delegation met with Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Cairo to discuss the truce and upcoming talks aimed at reconciling Palestinian factions.
Under the current ceasefire terms, Hamas has freed all 20 surviving hostages and is working to return the bodies of those who died in captivity. The truce, which began on October 10, was intended to end over two years of devastating conflict and lay out a roadmap for Gaza’s reconstruction.
However, skirmishes and renewed strikes have raised fears that peace may again slip away. Witnesses in Rafah described fierce clashes, while residents in central Gaza said the bombardment felt “like the war has returned anew.”
Vice President Vance has urged Gulf nations to help build a “security infrastructure” ensuring Hamas’s disarmament—a central pillar of Trump’s 20-point peace plan. Israeli troops, now stationed behind the so-called Yellow Line, retain control over roughly half of Gaza, including its borders but not its main cities.
The war, sparked by Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, has left at least 68,000 people dead in Gaza, according to the health ministry. More than half of the victims are believed to be women and children. Hamas’s initial attack killed 1,221 people in Israel, most of them civilians.
