US President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, returned to Israel on Monday, as mediators face a new obstacle in their efforts to advance negotiations on the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal to the next and more complex phase.
Key sticking points remain unresolved, including Hamas's disarmament, the reconstruction and future governance of Gaza, and the deployment of an international security force to the territory.
Without a timeline for the discussions, which are likely to require significant concessions from both Israel and Hamas, there are doubts that any progress can be achieved.
Another challenge has emerged recently, involving scores of Hamas fighters believed to be in tunnels beneath the southern city of Rafah behind the so-called Yellow Line, which marks the area under Israeli control.
Last week, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said an amnesty could be offered for fighters who laid down their arms, and that this could be a model for what Washington hoped to apply in the rest of Gaza.
Witkoff said 200 fighters were trapped, although this number has not been confirmed. Hamas has previously stated the fighters will not surrender and is demanding safe passage, which has been rejected by Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kushner have discussed the pressing matters of the ongoing ceasefire, outlining the next phases, including disarmament and ensuring Hamas has no influence in Gaza’s future.
The war in Gaza, which started on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas attack resulting in 1,200 Israeli fatalities, has led to massive casualties in Gaza, where over 69,000 deaths have been reported according to health officials.
As tensions persist, analysts suggest a de-facto partition of Gaza between Israeli-controlled regions and those ruled by Hamas, a scenario that raises concerns about the future trajectory of the region.
