In a flurry of high-stakes diplomacy, senior U.S. officials are descending on Israel this week to salvage and press forward with President Donald Trump’s ambitious Gaza peace plan—a deal that has brought a fragile ceasefire but remains fraught with unresolved tensions and mounting skepticism on all sides.
American envoy Steve Witkoff is set to arrive in Israel on Sunday, October 19, 2025, with a mission that’s as complex as it is urgent: mediating the thorny issue of deceased hostages still held in Gaza and ensuring the next stage of the peace framework doesn’t unravel before it begins. According to Israel Hayom, Witkoff’s visit comes just days after a revealing “60 Minutes” interview, where he and senior advisor Jared Kushner expressed shock over a recent attack in Doha and feelings of betrayal—underscoring the emotional and political volatility surrounding the process.
Hot on Witkoff’s heels, U.S. Vice President JD Vance will make his first official visit to Israel on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, a move widely seen as a demonstration of Washington’s commitment to the deal—and a signal to all parties that the U.S. is watching closely. Per Axios and The Times of Israel, Vance’s agenda will focus on hammering out the details of “Phase B” of Trump’s 20-point plan: the deployment of a multinational force to Gaza, the transfer of governance away from Hamas, and most controversially, the group’s complete disarmament.
But the road ahead is anything but smooth. Hamas, for its part, claims it needs specialized engineering equipment to recover the remains of deceased hostages—a task complicated, they argue, by the devastation left after two years of war. Israeli officials, however, remain deeply skeptical. They contend that Hamas is stalling, in part to allow Turkish disaster relief experts to enter Gaza, and that the group still has access to at least eight more hostages. As reported by Israel Hayom, these suspicions have led to a hardening of Israel’s stance on border crossings and humanitarian measures.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Sunday that the Rafah crossing—the main gateway between Egypt and Gaza—would remain closed until further notice. “Reopening will be considered only if Hamas fulfills its commitments regarding the return of the deceased hostages and adheres to the agreed framework of the deal,” the statement read, directly contradicting a Reuters report that suggested the crossing would reopen on Monday, October 20, 2025. The Palestinian embassy in Egypt had earlier claimed the crossing would open for the first time since May, allowing Palestinians in Egypt to return home. But for now, the border remains firmly shut, a move intended to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to comply.
According to Axios, Witkoff is expected to press Hamas to speed up the return of captives’ bodies—a process that has so far yielded only nine of the 28 deceased since the ceasefire began on October 10, 2025. The delay has stirred frustration and heartache among Israeli families, while fueling political tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Palestinian authorities. Witkoff’s diplomatic to-do list doesn’t end there: he will also work on establishing the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), a multinational contingent meant to facilitate the withdrawal of Israeli troops and maintain order as Gaza transitions toward new governance.
Turkey has stepped into the fray as well, pledging to send disaster relief experts to help search for bodies buried under Gaza’s vast rubble. With thousands of Palestinians believed to be entombed beneath collapsed buildings, the humanitarian stakes are painfully high. Hamas, meanwhile, has publicly urged international mediators “to complete their role by following up on the implementation of the remaining provisions of the agreement,” emphasizing the need for humanitarian aid, the reopening of the Rafah crossing, and the reconstruction of Gaza, which has been left in ruins.
The first phase of Trump’s peace plan—a ceasefire, the return of all living and deceased hostages, a gradual pullback of Israeli troops, and increased humanitarian aid—has brought momentary relief but not lasting calm. Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees have been released and reunited with their families, and all 20 living hostages were freed on October 13. Yet, the truce has been repeatedly violated. On Saturday, October 18, at least 28 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza City’s Zaytoun neighborhood, according to Axios and The New Arab. These incidents have cast a long shadow over the peace process, raising doubts about its durability and the willingness of both sides to adhere to its terms.
As the process lurches toward its second phase, the thorniest issues loom large. The Trump administration’s plan calls for Hamas to disarm and for an alternative authority to take over Gaza’s administration. But Hamas leaders have flatly rejected the demand to disarm, insisting on a role in Gaza’s future government. Netanyahu, in a televised interview on Channel 14 on Saturday, October 18, made clear that Israel would not consider the war over until the peace agreement is fully implemented—including the complete demilitarization of Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.
Trump himself has taken a hard line. On October 14, he declared, “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them, and it will happen quickly and perhaps violently. But they will disarm.” The message to Hamas could hardly be clearer: the U.S. expects compliance, and is prepared to enforce it if necessary.
Yet, the situation on the ground remains volatile. Reports of Hamas reasserting control in some parts of Gaza, including alleged public executions and renewed violence, have alarmed both Israeli and American officials. There are concerns that, despite the ceasefire and the partial fulfillment of the deal, the underlying dynamics that fueled the conflict remain dangerously unresolved. As NBC News noted, key elements of the peace proposal are still outstanding, and the risk of renewed hostilities is ever-present.
For ordinary Gazans, the stakes are existential. The population has endured profound hardship—hunger, malnutrition, and the destruction of homes and infrastructure—since the war began in October 2023. The peace plan’s promise of daily humanitarian aid is a lifeline, but its delivery is now entangled in the broader diplomatic standoff.
As Vice President Vance prepares to meet with Netanyahu and other regional leaders, the coming days will test whether the momentum behind the Trump peace plan can be sustained, or whether the deal will falter under the weight of mutual distrust and competing interests. For now, the eyes of the world are on Israel and Gaza, watching as history teeters on a knife’s edge.
