US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner were in Israel on Monday, after weekend violence threatened to wreck a hard-won ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Washington's senior negotiators, who are overseeing the truce plan, met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discussed “developments and updates in the region”, an Israeli government representative said.
US Vice President JD Vance is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday, according the country's airport authority, which added that it was making preparations.
Hamas handed over the coffin of a dead hostage late on Monday in the latest transfer of remains, the Israeli army said, in a process
Gaza's fragile ceasefire faced its first major test on Sunday, after the Israeli army launched a wave of deadly strikes, saying Hamas militants had killed two of its soldiers. Hamas denied its fighters were involved in any such attack.
Gaza's health authorities said Sunday’s strikes killed at least 44 people across the enclave. Entry of much-needed aid into Gaza was also halted, an Israeli security official said.
The military later said it had resumed observing the ceasefire but would respond firmly to any perceived breach. Israeli troops opened fire at several “terrorists” who crossed the so-called yellow line and approached them in the Shujaiya area of Gaza city in two separate incidents on Monday, it said.
Israeli military vehicles were seen placing yellow concrete blocks along the ceasefire line on Monday, after Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered that it be clearly demarcated.
A little over a week has passed since the start of the US-proposed ceasefire aimed at ending two years of war. Mr Trump, who helped broker the deal, said the ceasefire remained in place and “we want to make sure it's going to be very peaceful”.
Mr Netanyahu said on Monday that he would discuss regional challenges and opportunities with Mr Vance during the US Vice President's visit.
Addressing Israel's parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem, the Israeli Prime Minister said that together with Mr Trump, he expected to forge peace agreements in the region.
Mr Witkoff, Mr Vance and Mr Kushner are expected to visit Egypt this week for talks on cementing the ceasefire and implementing the next phases of the Gaza peace plan, sources told The National.
The sources added that a Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil Al Hayya was meeting Egyptian officials on Monday to discuss the next phases in the plan, including the disarmament of the group, the governance of postwar Gaza and the mandate of a panel of Palestinian technocrats that would run the day-to-day affairs in the enclave.
Mr Kushner, who is Mr Trump's son-in-law, told CBS News before travelling to the region that Israel should help the Palestinians “thrive” if it seeks regional integration after the Gaza war is over.
“The biggest message that we've tried to convey to the Israeli leadership is that now that the war is over, if you want to integrate Israel with the broader Middle East you have to find a way to help the Palestinian people thrive and do better,” he said.
Mr Kushner helped broker landmark deals during Mr Trump's first term in office, under which several Arab governments established diplomatic ties with Israel.
In the CBS interview, given before Israel's strikes, he said the situation remained “very difficult” but he was looking for “joint security and economic opportunity” to guarantee that Israelis and Palestinians “can live peacefully, side by side, in a durable way”.
Aid resumption
Israel reopened the Karam Abu Salem border crossing on Monday for aid to enter into Gaza, an Israeli military official said.
Following a decision at the political level, aid flowed “in full compliance with the signed agreement”, the official said, before adding that the Rafah crossing from Egypt to Gaza “will remain closed until further notice”.
Around 400 lorries that entered checkpoints on Sunday had to turn back due to Israeli strikes on the Palestinian side of Rafah crossing with Egypt, aid workers at the border told The National.
The convoy was carrying fuel, tents and other shelter materials, and food. The lorries were ordered to return and wait in line again until further notice on Sunday evening. An order to resume the entry of aid for Israeli inspection was issued on Monday morning.
Since the ceasefire took effect, around half the lorries in each convoy have been turned away at Israeli checkpoints, to join the queue again at the end of each day.
