Witkoff, Kushner meet Netanyahu in Israel as clashes test Trump’s Gaza peace deal

The fragile peace agreement led by President Trump between Israel and Hamas in Gaza He appeared Monday to have survived serious threats over the weekend. The top US officials who helped broker the ceasefire and hostage release deal – special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner – were back in Israel on Monday to make sure the deal did not collapse.

Israel struck several targets inside Gaza after a deadly attack on Israeli soldiers. Hamas has rejected Israel’s claim that it was involved in the attack.

The skies over Gaza were calm again on Monday following the most serious threat since the ceasefire took effect on October 10. Hamas and Israel accused each other of violating the terms of Mr. Trump’s peace plan over the weekend, but both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the process on Monday.

However, for a few tense days, war resumed in Gaza. Local health officials in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territories said 45 people were killed in the Israeli strikes.

Speaking before Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the army dropped nearly 169 tons of bombs on Gaza over the weekend.

“One of our hands holds a weapon, the other is outstretched for peace,” he told parliamentarians. “You make peace with the strong, not the weak. Today, Israel is stronger than ever.”

The Israel Defense Forces said it launched the attack after two soldiers were killed when Hamas operatives opened fire with an RPG.

As mediators rushed to get the peace process back on track, President Trump said the situation would be “handled firmly, but correctly,” and added that in his view the ceasefire remained in effect.

Over the weekend, Palestinian families were enjoying a quiet moment at a seaside cafe in Gaza when cameras captured the moment an Israeli strike shattered the peace.

Many feared that the bloody scenes left in the wake of the explosions were a sign of the resumption of two years of relentless violence after just a week.

“We were drinking tea,” said Salih Salman, “when suddenly people were bombed.”

Once again, Gaza’s paralyzed hospitals were filled with dozens of wounded following multiple Israeli strikes.

The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas forces responsible for ceasefire violations and provided video purportedly showing armed Hamas fighters moving toward Israeli troops.

A media center in central Gaza was among the locations bombed, with the strike killing a cameraman and an engineer and injuring three other people.

“We are all journalists here,” protested Ajeb Mohamed on the spot. “No one else can enter here.”

More than 220 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the international organization Reporters Without Borders.

Amid renewed fighting and accusations this weekend, an Israeli official said all humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza would be suspended. However, on Monday, COGAT, the Israeli government agency that handles affairs in the Palestinian territories, told CBS News that the Kerem Shalom border crossing was open for transit assistance.

The United Nations and a number of aid agencies have repeatedly called since the ceasefire took effect for Israel to open all border crossings with Gaza to allow the entry of significantly more food, water, medicine, construction materials and other essential items.

The arrival of aid – which the US peace plan says should be maximized under the ceasefire – will likely be one of the key issues as Witkoff and Kushner meet with Israeli officials this week to ensure the process stays on track. Vice President JD Vance is also expected in Israel this week and is expected to meet with Netanyahu.

Netanyahu met Monday with Witkoff and Kushner to discuss “developments and updates in the region,” Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office, said Monday.

She added that Vance and his wife were also expected in the country “for a few days and they will meet with the prime minister,” but neither she nor the White House confirmed when Vance would arrive.

Witkoff and Kushner were tasked by Mr. Trump with negotiating the peace deal, and in a exclusive interview with 60 Minutes broadcast on Sunday, they reported an apologetic phone call from Netanyahu to the leader of Qatar, regarding an unprecedented matter. airstrikes on US ally’s capital Dohaand a moment of personal connection between Witkoff and Hamas’ top negotiator marked two key turning points that led to the ceasefire.