Table of Contents
- A Fragile Ceasefire on the Brink
- White House Sends Heavyweights to Israel
- Trump’s Tough Love: ‘Eradicate Hamas If Needed’
- Netanyahu Under Fire—From Allies and Enemies
- Is Hamas in Control—or Collapsing?
- What Comes Next for Gaza?
- Sources
A Fragile Ceasefire on the Brink
The Gaza ceasefire brokered just 10 days ago by the Trump administration is teetering on the edge of collapse. Fresh violence—including an anti-tank missile strike that killed two Israeli soldiers—has reignited fears that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may abandon the deal and launch a full-scale military offensive once again.
U.S. officials now say their top priority is preventing exactly that. Behind the scenes, the White House is scrambling to keep the Gaza deal intact, even as both sides trade blame for violating the truce.
White House Sends Heavyweights to Israel
In a show of high-stakes diplomacy, Vice President JD Vance is en route to Israel to join Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and senior advisor Jared Kushner—key architects of the original ceasefire agreement.
Their mission? To personally reassure Netanyahu that the U.S. remains committed to the deal while urging restraint. “This is the moment that matters,” said Khaled Elgindy, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies.
Trump’s Tough Love: ‘Eradicate Hamas If Needed’
President Trump has adopted a dual-track approach: publicly backing the ceasefire while issuing stark warnings to Hamas.
“We made a deal with Hamas that, you know, they’re going to be very good… And if they’re not, we’re going to go and we’re going to eradicate them if we have to,” Trump told reporters Monday.
Notably, Trump downplayed the recent attack as the work of “rambunctious” fringe elements within Hamas—not its leadership—suggesting the administration still sees room for negotiation.
Netanyahu Under Fire—From Allies and Enemies
Despite U.S. efforts, Netanyahu faces mounting pressure at home to retaliate. Israeli hardliners argue the ceasefire has emboldened militants, while critics accuse him of caving to American influence.
U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, admitted they fear Netanyahu could “vacate the deal” entirely. The Trump team’s strategy now hinges on convincing him that a measured response preserves both security and international credibility.
Is Hamas in Control—or Collapsing?
Complicating matters further, Hamas has launched a brutal internal crackdown on rival factions in Gaza—a move Trump initially praised as “taking out gangs” but now views with skepticism.
Vice President Vance acknowledged the chaotic reality on the ground: “Hamas is going to fire on Israel… Some of those cells will probably honor the cease-fire. Many… will not.”
With roughly 40 semi-autonomous cells operating in Gaza, enforcing a unified truce may be impossible without external security forces—something the U.S. hopes Gulf allies like Egypt will provide.
What Comes Next for Gaza?
The U.S. is pushing forward on multiple fronts: securing the return of remaining Israeli hostages’ bodies (with help from Turkish earthquake recovery teams), establishing tariff-free reconstruction zones, and laying groundwork for a demilitarized Gaza.
But all of it depends on one thing: keeping the Gaza deal alive. As Witkoff and Kushner admit, the situation remains “very delicate.”
Sources
The New York Times: White House Works to Preserve Gaza Deal Amid Concerns About Netanyahu
