Trump’s envoys arrive in Israel as Gaza ceasefire faces new challenges
The visit by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner follows a brief closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing for aid, after two Israeli soldiers were killed
Top US envoys arrived in Israel on Monday to assess the progress of the Gaza peace plan, following weekend violence that jeopardised the ceasefire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held discussions with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner about the current developments in the region, as confirmed by his office.
Additionally, a spokesperson from the Prime Minister’s office stated that US Vice-President J.D. Vance and his wife were scheduled to visit Israel, and meet with Netanyahu.
Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza for aid shipments, a security official and a humanitarian source said, after it was closed briefly on Sunday following the killing of two Israeli soldiers.
In response, Israel carried out dozens of strikes targeting Hamas across Gaza, accusing the militant group of carrying out “a blatant violation” of the truce.
But both sides insisted that they remained committed to the ceasefire and US President Donald Trump, who helped broker the deal, told reporters in Washington that as far as he was concerned, it was still in effect.