This story has been updated to clarify the Trump administration’s delegation to the Middle East.
(NewsNation) — Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Monday landed in Israel following the toughest test yet of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Vice President JD Vance was also expected to join in negotiations.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are headed to Israel following the toughest test yet of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with Vice President JD Vance potentially joining them in negotiations.
The U.S. officials plan to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where they are expected to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire after a tense weekend saw dozens killed.
Israel accused Hamas of violating the deal by firing at troops in southern Gaza over the weekend. The death of two Israeli soldiers led to Israel conducting dozens of airstrikes, which Palestinians said killed more than 25 people.
President Donald Trump suggested the Hamas leaders were not behind the initial attack, pinning it instead on rebels within the group that he said would be dealt with “toughly but properly.”
Aid was again “flowing as usual” to Gaza on Monday following the weekend’s violence, an Israeli official told NewsNation.
Vance on Sunday night pointed to the difficulty of maintaining the ceasefire. “There are going to be moments where you have people within Gaza where you’re not quite sure what they’re actually doing … it’s going to have hills and valleys, and we’re going to have to monitor the situation,” he said.
Phase 2 of the agreement involves disarming Hamas, withdrawing more Israeli forces from Gaza and organizing a government in the territory.
Also on the table is the release of the remains of more deceased hostages. Hamas has so far returned less than half of the 28 hostage bodies and said the devastation from the war has made retrieving the remains difficult.