President Donald Trump insisted Monday that the ceasefire in Gaza remains intact, despite renewed violence that left 57 Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers dead. Gaza ceasefire
Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to visit Israel soon in a bid to reinforce the fragile peace deal.
As part of efforts to maintain Trump’s Middle East peace plan, his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and senior adviser Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday.
The delegation is expected to travel next to Cairo, where Hamas leaders are holding talks with Egyptian officials.
The White House has not yet released an itinerary for Vance’s upcoming visit.
In a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Trump delivered a stern warning to Hamas, calling on the group to uphold the agreement.
“We’re going to eradicate them. If we have to, they’ll be eradicated. And they know that,” Trump told reporters, stressing that any breach of the ceasefire would not be tolerated.
Trump also highlighted the international support for his peace plan, saying it had been endorsed by “59 countries.”
The deal, signed in Cairo last week in the presence of global leaders, included a prisoner exchange involving Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees. Trump was hailed across parts of the region for brokering the agreement.
However, the truce was seriously tested on Sunday when Israel accused Hamas of killing two of its soldiers. Hamas denied responsibility.
In response, Israeli warplanes dropped 153 tons of explosives on targets across Gaza within 24 hours. Netanyahu called the strikes a response to a “serious ceasefire breach.”
“One of our hands holds a weapon, the other is stretched out for peace,” Netanyahu said in a fiery address to the Knesset. “You make peace with the strong, not the weak. Today, Israel is stronger than ever before.”
Following the attack, Israel temporarily suspended humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
There were also reports of Israel killing a Hamas commander in a military operation.
Over the last 2 years in #Gaza, 2 women and girls were killed every hour.
Today, 1M+ require food aid & 250,000 need urgent nutritional support. 1 in 7 Gazan families is led by a woman.
There will be no recovery without women and girls, says @SofiaCalltorp of @UN_Women. pic.twitter.com/aqiVlN0Z7f
— United Nations Geneva (@UNGeneva) October 17, 2025
Despite the escalation, U.S. diplomatic pressure appeared to help avert a complete breakdown of the ceasefire. On Monday, Israel reopened its border crossings with Gaza, signaling a tentative return to the terms of the agreement.
Still, the situation remains precarious.
Israeli officials have demanded that Hamas fulfill its part of the deal and return the bodies of Israeli hostages believed to be buried under rubble after years of Israeli bombardment. According to Israeli sources, Hamas could return six more bodies immediately out of a total of 15.
The Israeli military also accused Hamas of a “blatant violation” of the truce following attacks in the Rafah area. Hamas, however, denied involvement and accused Israel of provoking conflict under “flimsy pretexts.”
We mourn the loss of two IDF soldiers from the Nahal Brigade’s 932nd Battalion, who fell in combat in southern Gaza:
🕯️ Major Yaniv Kula, 26, from Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut
🕯️ Staff Sergeant Itay Yavetz, 21, from Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’utOur hearts are with their families and loved… pic.twitter.com/vr4o0Ghk8B
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) October 19, 2025
In a statement, Hamas said it remains committed to the agreement, while accusing Israel of committing “80 violations” of the ceasefire.
The United Nations on Monday said it was encouraged by renewed Gaza ceasefire commitments as it emphasized the importance of preserving recovery efforts and large-scale rubble removal project on the war-shattered Palestinian Strip.
“We are encouraged that the parties have reaffirmed their commitments to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza and commend the steadfast efforts of the mediators,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.
“We do, however, remain concerned by all acts of violence in Gaza and the reported attacks and strikes that took place yesterday.”
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Muhammad Luqman is Associate Editor at Views News Now. He writes on wide-ranging issues including economy, South Asia, the Middle East, agriculture, economy and innovation. Luqman has worked some of the leading news organizations and won acclaim for his original and research-based works.
