Trump's Gaza peace plan enters crucial 30-day period - Axios
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Last week, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire, but it was broken today. US officials say the next 30 days will be critical for implementing President Donald Trump's peace deal, Axios reports.
The Gaza ceasefire agreement is being viewed as a major diplomatic achievement for President Trump. However, officials in his administration warn that the situation between Israel and Hamas is fragile, and only strict oversight can preserve the peace.
US officials said the Trump administration will significantly increase its supervision of the Gaza agreement to ensure it does not collapse.
"The next 30 days are going to be critical. We are now in charge of what's going on in Gaza when it comes to the implementation of the deal. We are going to be calling the shots," a US official said.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas broken
A US official said the clashes on Sunday were exactly the type of incidents they had anticipated during the transitional period.
On October 19, Israel carried out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip after Hamas militants fired anti-tank rockets at Israeli soldiers, according to the Israeli military.
The Trump administration is trying to prevent further incidents that could derail the peace deal.
"We knew this was brewing. And the longer these guys are allowed to attack each other, the more they're going to attack each other," said a senior Trump administration official.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the incident occurred this morning local time. Hamas militants emerged from a tunnel in the Rafah area, still mostly controlled by Israeli forces, and fired an anti-tank rocket at an IDF vehicle, killing two Israeli soldiers.
In response, the IDF carried out around 100 airstrikes on Hamas targets in Rafah and other areas of Gaza. Gaza's Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, reported at least 23 Palestinians were killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas violated the ceasefire and promised a decisive response. On Sunday, Israel decided to close all checkpoints in Gaza and halt humanitarian aid deliveries in response to the violation, a source said. US officials added that aid is expected to resume Monday morning local time.
Hamas denied any involvement in the Rafah incident and reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire.
"We are not aware of any incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area, because these are zones under Israeli control, and contact has been severed with our groups that remained there," Hamas' military wing said.
The US knew about Israeli strikes
US and Israeli officials said Israel notified the Trump administration in advance of the planned strikes through a US command center that oversees the ceasefire.
A US official said Trump's Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a phone call with Israeli Minister Ron Dermer and other officials to coordinate and discuss next steps.
The official added that the US urged Israel to "respond proportionately but show restraint" and focus on isolating Hamas while developing alternatives in Gaza, rather than reigniting the war.
Agreement under threat, but Israel returns to ceasefire
A US official said that since Trump visited the region last week, both Hamas and Israel have taken actions that raised concerns about the peace deal's implementation. Axios notes that Israel repeatedly threatened to suspend the agreement, citing Hamas’s slow return of the dead hostages' bodies.
The US official said that the situation was still very fragile and that both Hamas and the Israelis were acting as usual. He added that they could not be allowed to fail.
About an hour ago, the IDF said it had resumed compliance with the ceasefire.
"In accordance with the directive of the political leadership, and following a significant series of strikes, the IDF will continue to enforce the ceasefire agreement and will respond forcefully to any violation of the agreement," the statement said.
Earlier in October, Trump announced that the US had developed a new 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas. Negotiations began almost immediately, and a few days later, Trump said both sides had signed the first phase of the peace agreement. On October 10 at 12:00 p.m. local time, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect.
