Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed his commitment to disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip during a speech to the Knesset on Monday, as Palestinian officials convened in Cairo for ongoing peace negotiations.
Netanyahu stated the current agreement provides for the return of all Israeli hostages, Israeli military control over most of Gaza, and international consensus on Hamas’s disarmament. He also expressed expectations of forging additional peace agreements with U.S. President Donald Trump, following a meeting with the U.S. Middle East envoy and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who traveled to Israel to discuss recent breaches of the Gaza ceasefire.
The 10-day ceasefire was disrupted Sunday by an attack that killed two Israeli soldiers, prompting Israeli air strikes that resulted in 44 Palestinian deaths, according to reports from the period. Hamas denied responsibility for the attack.
Initially, the Israeli government considered halting all humanitarian aid to Gaza following the attack, but reversed course after consulting with the United States. Israel maintained open crossings for humanitarian aid on Monday, though the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza remained closed.
A senior aide to Netanyahu indicated that Hamas would be given a 60-day period to disarm, after which the Israel Defense Forces would resume military operations in the Gaza Strip. This timeline suggests a defined window for the implementation of the ceasefire terms and the potential for a return to conflict if Hamas does not comply.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas received cabinet approval from Netanyahu, with President Trump announcing that hostages held in Gaza would be released early the following week. But, the announcement of the ceasefire’s second phase was described as a “declarative move” by Netanyahu, leaving questions unanswered regarding the composition of a proposed Palestinian governing committee and the role of an international “Board of Peace.”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of the ceasefire, according to sources. The situation remains fluid, with the next phase of the ceasefire plan facing uncertainty.
