Diplomatic push: US halts Israeli escalation, paves way for new phase in Gaza plan

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

In a swift diplomatic effort, Washington succeeded in pressing Israel to reverse its decision to continue airstrikes on Gaza and to block humanitarian aid to the enclave, after Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Israel Katz agreeing to the U.S. demand, Katz continued to issue threats to Hamas through messages relayed to the American monitoring mechanism overseeing the ceasefire.

At the same time, U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff postponed his scheduled talks in Tel Aviv on Sunday, spending the day exerting pressure on Israeli officials to backtrack on their decisions. His efforts paved the way for his arrival on Monday in a calmer atmosphere, allowing discussions to begin on the second phase of the Trump plan.

Those talks, which also include Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of the U.S. president, focus on the deployment of an international force in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Talks are set to continue on Tuesday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, as Netanyahu insists that Israel will not begin the second phase until Hamas hands over the remains of the last Israeli hostage, presents a binding mechanism for disarmament, and neutralizes the threat posed by its extensive tunnel network across Gaza.

Determined to avoid a repeat of Sunday's escalation and to accelerate progress on implementing the Trump plan, the United States plans to submit a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council to authorize and deploy an international force in Gaza. The move comes amid pressure from France, the United Kingdom, and several Arab states.