Chicago – October 21, 2025
U.S. envoys met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday aiming to corral Israel and Hamas to get the Gaza ceasefire plan back on track after an explosion of violence over the weekend that threatened to derail the week-old truce.
Israel and Hamas have both recommitted to the ceasefire plan brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump since Sunday’s flare-up in which a Palestinian attack that killed two soldiers prompted an Israeli bombardment killing at least 28 people in Gaza.
However, with even the first stages of the truce shaken by repeated flashes of violence, including on Monday, it was far from clear whether the U.S. will be able to keep pressure on the two sides and maintain momentum to end the conflict.
The latest events reflected the stumbling blocks to keeping the long-sought ceasefire from unravelling and securing a lasting peace after two years of war in Gaza. Key questions of Hamas disarming, further Israeli troop pullbacks and future governance of the Palestinian enclave remain unresolved.
