Witkoff, Kushner Meet Netanyahu as Vance Joins Push To Stabilize Gaza Truce By The Media Line Staff US special envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner met Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, part of renewed American efforts to stabilize the fragile Gaza ceasefire. The meeting came just days after two Israeli soldiers […]
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The Media Line: Witkoff, Kushner Meet Netanyahu as Vance Joins Push To Stabilize Gaza Truce
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Witkoff, Kushner Meet Netanyahu as Vance Joins Push To Stabilize Gaza Truce
By The Media Line Staff
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner met Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, part of renewed American efforts to stabilize the fragile Gaza ceasefire. The meeting came just days after two Israeli soldiers were killed in Rafah when Hamas terrorists attacked troops along the ceasefire line, prompting Israeli airstrikes across Gaza.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said the leaders discussed “developments and updates in the region.” US Vice President JD Vance is expected to arrive Tuesday, joining Witkoff and Kushner to reinforce Washington’s mediation push. The Israel Airports Authority announced temporary road closures and flight adjustments at Ben Gurion Airport during his arrival.
Witkoff and Kushner, who helped broker the October 9 ceasefire and hostage-release deal, are scheduled to revisit Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where families of captives continue to rally for the return of 16 bodies still held in Gaza. Their visit follows deadly Israeli strikes in response to Sunday’s Rafah attack and is part of ongoing US efforts to prevent a broader breakdown of the truce.
Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya met in Cairo with Qatari and Egyptian mediators to address the renewed violence and discuss a wider intra-Palestinian dialogue. The talks aim “to unify the Palestinian factions” and establish a technocratic transitional authority to manage Gaza, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Under the US-backed plan, the new administration would be independent of both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, transferring control to the PA only after significant internal reforms. The second phase of the ceasefire framework envisions Hamas disarming under international supervision.
Both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the truce’s first stage, which included Israel’s partial withdrawal from Gaza and the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the final 20 hostages. Hamas denies involvement in the Rafah attack, claiming it was carried out by rogue operatives.
Speaking Sunday, Vance said the ceasefire would face “fits and starts,” adding that Israel must defend itself when attacked but expressing optimism for “a sustainable peace.”