ROMA (ITALPRESS) – US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will arrive today in Israel, according to a diplomatic source to the Haaretz newspaper. Their visit precedes that of Vice-President J.D. Vance, whose arrival in the region is scheduled for tomorrow. The two envoys had left the Middle East about a week ago, after the signing of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the return of the hostages in Israel and the short visit of Trump in Israel and Egypt. According to some sources, Witkoff and Kushner will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prepare for Vance’s visit. The talks should focus on the second phase of Trump’s peace initiative, which provides for the deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the disarmament of Hamas. According to local media, the United States intends to shortly submit a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council to establish this international force, with the support of France, the United Kingdom and several Arab states.
Speaking with journalists at Andrews’ joint base, Vice-President Vance warned that the ceasefire in Gaza could suffer intermittent violence. “It will be complicated,” he said. “Even in the best case, there will be unexpected. Hamas will open fire on Israel, and Israel will have to respond.” Vance described Hamas as a fragmented organization, observing that “some cells will probably respect the ceasefire, while others will not.” During a speech on board the Air Force One, President Trump expressed a cautious optimism: “We want to make sure everything is very peaceful with Hamas. Perhaps leadership is not involved, perhaps there are rebels within it.” Trump acknowledged, however, that there is still no precise timing for the disarmament of Hamas, citing the lack of security infrastructure among regional partners. Trump concluded by pointing out that any violation will be addressed “in an appropriate manner, with firmness but appropriately.”.
Meanwhile, Palestinian-American entrepreneur and mediator Bishara Bahbah told Al Jazeera that Washington will not allow Netanyahu or his government to undermine the ceasefire with Hamas, following the bloody clashes in Gaza on Sunday that triggered Israeli air attacks throughout the Strip.
RIPRENDE IL CESSATE IL FUOCO A GAZA
The Israeli Defense Forces (Idf) announced the resumption of the truce in the Gaza Strip, interrupted on Sunday morning after an attack by Hamas against Israeli troops at Rafah, in the south of the enclave, which caused the death of two soldiers and the wounding of three. In response, Israel launched a series of raids against twenty Hamas targets, with at least 45 deaths, according to local sources. After consultations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and military leaders, Israel decided to restore the truce, while reserving to react to any violation. Military sources reported the risk of new tensions in the area between the yellow line, the point where the Idfs were withdrawn, and the Egyptian border, where Hamas would continue to operate through underground tunnels.
In the United States, President Donald Trump’s administration intervened to avoid the collapse of the ceasefire, in effect from October 10 and mediated by Washington. Israel had temporarily suspended humanitarian aid convoys to Gaza after the attack, but – according to American sources – it then decided to reopen the vaccines on US political pressure. The events of Sunday are the most serious episode of violence from the signing of the truce, after two years of conflict begun with the attack of Hamas on 7 October 2023.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
