JERUSALEM / GAZA:US mediators met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday as Washington’s attention turned to the far more complex second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan amid a tense standoff over nearly 200 Hamas fighters still trapped in tunnels beneath Rafah.
The meeting, attended by US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, marked a crucial moment in Washington’s renewed push to sustain the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas, following two years of devastating conflict in Gaza.
While the ceasefire has largely held since October, the future of trapped Hamas fighters in Israeli-controlled areas and the blueprint for Gaza’s postwar governance remain major stumbling blocks.
US envoy Steve Witkoff last week described negotiations over the trapped fighters who Hamas insists must be allowed safe passage in exchange for disarmament as a test case for the credibility of the broader peace roadmap. Israeli officials have so far rejected Hamas’s demand, arguing that any concession could embolden militants still hiding underground.
A Palestinian negotiator familiar with the talks told DAAR that mediators believe any attempt to storm the tunnels militarily could reignite full-scale hostilities and derail the painstakingly negotiated truce.
The second phase of the Trump peace plan reportedly includes establishing a transitional governing body for Gaza, excluding Hamas, the formation of an international stabilization force, and the disarmament and reconstruction of Gaza.
However, each component has met resistance. Hamas has rejected any arrangement that excludes it politically, while Israel remains skeptical about allowing international troops on its borders. A senior Emirati official confirmed on Monday that the UAE would not join any stabilization force in Gaza without a clear and viable framework endorsed by the United Nations.
Despite the truce, both Israel and Hamas continue to trade accusations of violating the ceasefire agreement. Israel claims Hamas is delaying the return of hostage remains, while Hamas accuses Israel of blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza.
According to local health officials, Israeli airstrikes have killed 244 Palestinians since the truce took effect, including two on Monday one of them a child in southern Gaza. Israel’s military has not commented on the strikes.
Hamas, meanwhile, on Sunday returned the body of an Israeli soldier killed over a decade ago. However, the fate of four other hostages remains unclear, with Israeli authorities acknowledging that retrieving all 28 promised remains may prove difficult.
As Kushner met Netanyahu in Jerusalem, analysts said Washington’s latest push underscored the fragility of Trump’s ceasefire plan, which hinges on securing regional and international buy-in while navigating deep mistrust between the two sides.
With Gaza’s tunnels still echoing with the sounds of conflict and its people waiting for relief, the success or failure of the trapped-fighters negotiation could determine whether the ceasefire transitions into a lasting peace or collapses back into chaos.