Whitkoff, Kushner arrive in Israel amid fragile Gaza truce

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner have arrived in Israel, according to media reports.

Their visit forms part of coordinated U.S. efforts to prevent further breaches of the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The trip comes just a day after a Hamas attack killed two Israeli soldiers, prompting retaliatory airstrikes by the Israel Defense Forces across the enclave.

According to the Israeli military, the strikes targeted multiple sites in Gaza after troops came under fire, describing the incidents as “a bold violation of the ceasefire.”

Following security consultations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the army to take “strong action” against “terrorist targets,” while stopping short of threatening a full-scale return to war.

Hamas rejected accusations of involvement, insisting it remained committed to the truce. “We reaffirm our full commitment to implement everything that was agreed upon... We have no knowledge of any incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area,” its Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades stated.

Medical officials in Gaza reported at least 38 fatalities since Sunday morning as a result of the strikes.

Later in the day, the Israeli military announced it was “re-enforcing the ceasefire following its violation by the terrorist organization Hamas.”

President Trump maintained that the truce remained in place, attributing the breaches to “some rebels within” Gaza rather than Hamas itself. “But either way, it's going to be handled properly. It's going to be handled toughly, but properly,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

By Aghakazim Guliyev