On October 20, 2025, a fragile calm hung over Gaza and Israel as world leaders, diplomats, and ordinary citizens grappled with the aftermath of a two-year war and the uncertain promise of a new ceasefire. Despite accusations of violations by both Israel and Hamas, U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on Monday that the truce was still intact, even as deadly violence and political controversy threatened to unravel the hard-won agreement.
President Trump addressed reporters aboard Air Force One, responding to questions about renewed fighting. "Yeah, it is," he stated when asked if the ceasefire was holding, according to BBC and other international outlets. The president acknowledged the complexity of the situation, saying, "We think maybe the leadership isn't involved in that. Either way ... it's going to be handled toughly but properly." While he was noncommittal about whether Israeli strikes were justified, Trump emphasized, "We want to make sure it’s going to be very peaceful."
The most recent violence erupted on October 19, when two Israeli soldiers were killed by militants, prompting Israeli airstrikes that took the lives of at least 26 Palestinians, as reported by Al Jazeera and the Gaza Health Ministry. The strikes came after both sides blamed each other for breaking the truce, which had been painstakingly negotiated just days earlier. The death toll in Gaza, according to health officials, has reached a staggering 70,000 over more than two years of conflict, with most victims identified as civilians.
In an effort to stabilize the situation and reinforce the ceasefire, U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Israel on October 20. Their mission, as described by a U.S. embassy spokesperson and detailed in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview, was to push forward the truce and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, explained their approach: "The biggest message that we've tried to convey to the Israeli leadership now is that now that the war is over, if you want to integrate Israel with the broader Middle East, you have to find a way to help the Palestinian people thrive and do better." He added, "We were looking for joint security and economic opportunity to guarantee that Israelis and Palestinians can live peacefully side by side in a durable way."
Kushner and Witkoff’s style was unconventional, relying less on traditional diplomacy and more on the "intensely personal techniques of real estate dealmakers," as described by CBS host Lesley Stahl. Kushner recounted, "We wanted the hostages to come out. We wanted a real ceasefire that both sides would respect. We needed a way to bring humanitarian aid into the people. And then we had to write all these complex words to deal with the 50 years of stupid word games that everyone in that region is so used to playing. Both sides wanted the objective. And we just needed to find a way to help everyone get there."
Critics have questioned whether Kushner and Witkoff’s deep business ties in the region created conflicts of interest. Kushner responded on "60 Minutes," "What people call conflicts of interests, Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships that we have throughout the world. If Steve and I didn't have these deep relationships, the deal we were able to get done, that freed these hostages would not have occurred. We have trusted relationships in the Arab world and even in Israel, where we've both done business in the past. But that means they trust us. We understand their cultures. We understand how they work. And we're able to use that knowledge and skill set to try to do things that advance the world."
The emotional toll of the negotiations was clear. Witkoff recalled a moment of rare unity: "I thought to myself, ‘I wish the world could've seen it.’ I wish people could see people from Qatar hugging people from Israel. And by the way, it happened with the Turks too, and it happened with the Egyptians, which sort of, I don't know, makes you feel a whole lot better about what the possibilities are for the world."
But the ceasefire’s fragility was underscored by continued violence and tragedy. On October 19, a German public broadcaster ZDF’s partner office in Gaza was hit by a rocket, killing a 37-year-old engineer and the eight-year-old son of another employee. Another staff member was injured and several vehicles, including a transmission van, were destroyed. ZDF Editor-in-Chief Bettina Schausten condemned the attack: "Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, to whom we express our deepest condolences. It is unacceptable that media professionals are attacked while carrying out their work." The Israeli military stated it was reviewing the incident.
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid to Gaza—halted after the latest violence—was set to resume on October 20, according to Israeli security sources. The lack of access to food and medicine had already worsened Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, and aid groups warned that delays could cost more lives. The reopening of the critical Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt remained uncertain, with Israeli officials insisting that Hamas must fulfill its ceasefire obligations for the crossing to operate.
Hamas, for its part, has released all 20 living hostages and 12 of the 28 deceased, according to U.S. and regional officials. President Trump has expressed cautious optimism, stating his belief that Hamas is acting in good faith to locate the remaining bodies, which the group says are buried beneath the rubble of Gaza and require time and technical assistance to recover.
The ceasefire agreement itself, reached on October 8, 2025, was the product of months of shuttle diplomacy, back-channel negotiations, and, as Kushner and Witkoff described, a willingness to break with convention. Their efforts included what they called "dangling presidential promises, protections or punishments," and leveraging deep personal relationships with leaders across the Middle East. The deal was briefly threatened when Israel accused Hamas of violating the terms, but both sides ultimately reaffirmed their commitment to the truce.
As the region took tentative steps toward peace, political tensions simmered elsewhere. In Tel Aviv, the Israeli police’s decision to ban the city’s football derby due to public disorder and riots sparked outrage among teams and politicians. Hapoel Tel Aviv, one of the teams affected, accused police of preparing "for a war rather than a sports event," while opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the interior minister for failing to maintain order.
Despite these setbacks and ongoing skepticism, U.S. Vice President JD Vance announced plans to visit Israel during the week, stating the administration’s intention to "check on how things are going." He acknowledged that the ceasefire would likely have "fits and starts," but insisted that the U.S. remained committed to supporting a lasting peace.
For now, the world watches and waits. The ceasefire, imperfect and precarious, offers a glimmer of hope after years of bitter conflict. Whether it can endure is a question that only time—and the will of those on both sides—can answer.