On the brink of war: The US is trying to keep Israel and Hamas from a new escalation

Washington is stepping up efforts to deter Israel and Hamas from a new escalation of the situation in Gaza. US Vice President Jay Dee Vance arrived in Israel, where he discussed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the observance of the ceasefire and the implementation of the Donald Trump peace plan. The trip takes place against the background of attempts to preserve the truce, which has already been violated. A new American structure has begun work in southern Israel, which will monitor the peace process and coordinate international assistance for the reconstruction of the sector. At the same time, the Hamas leadership expresses its concern about possible targeted strikes by the IDF.

Fateful days for Gaza

JD Vance arrived in Israel to participate in talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, where he will discuss compliance with the ceasefire agreement and further steps under Donald Trump's plan for a post-war settlement in the Gaza Strip.

"These are fateful days, and we are enthusiastically working on a peace plan for Gaza. We have a very difficult task ahead of us — to disarm Hamas, rebuild the strip so that the lives of its inhabitants become better, and ensure that Hamas no longer threatens Israel," Vance said at a press conference with Netanyahu.

He added that over the past 24 hours, representatives of the Trump administration have held "productive talks" with Israeli and Arab officials who are "ready to play a positive role" in the implementation of the plan.

Meanwhile, a new American structure has begun work in southern Israel, whose task will be to monitor the truce and coordinate the flow of international aid to the exclave. Washington says that the site, located near the border with Gaza, is designed to monitor the implementation of the terms of the truce.

Vance visited the center on October 21 with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner. According to the American side, it is through this structure that the distribution of humanitarian aid will be coordinated, as well as the possibility of forming an international stabilization force will be discussed.

The trip comes amid growing pressure from the Trump administration, demanding that Israel not disrupt the cease-fire and proceed to the second stage of the peace plan, despite fierce resistance from Netanyahu's far-right partners.

On October 19, the IDF reported a violation of the truce by Hamas: Israeli soldiers were shelled in Rafah, two were killed. Israel retaliated against Gaza, attacking about 100 targets. According to the Palestinians, 45 people were killed as a result. Hamas denies involvement in these incidents, saying it does not control the south of the strip.

The current visit of the Americans is of exceptional importance, Roman Yanushevsky, editor-in-chief of the website of the 9th Israeli TV channel, told Izvestia. According to him, Hassan Rashad, the head of Egyptian intelligence, joined the delegation, which is considered an unprecedented case.

According to the expert, such a composition of participants demonstrates how important it is for the White House to achieve the implementation of Trump's plan.

— This is the most serious attempt at a settlement since the beginning of the war in Gaza. Dozens of states are connected to it. Yes, this plan has a lot of "holes", there are a million more questions about disarmament and the management of the exclave," he said.

Israel doubts the truce

This time, the situation is distinguished by "the powerful political will in Washington and the participation of countries that traditionally support Hamas," Yanushevsky added. According to him, without Turkey and Qatar, which are now "showing their fist under the table," this process would not have been possible.

The expert believes that the main thing is to maintain the political momentum and not let the negotiations drag on. "The process cannot be delayed, otherwise the energy invested in it now will simply dissipate," Yanushevsky said.

Meanwhile, according to the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, the Hamas leadership fears that Israel may "repeat the Lebanese scenario" — that is, resort to targeted strikes against members of the movement, despite the formal truce. Sources told the newspaper that a high-ranking member of the Hamas military wing was killed in the strike on October 19.

On the eve of Vance's visit, Trump warned that he could send international forces to Gaza to "counter violations by Hamas," but said he would refrain from this step for now, giving the movement "a chance to correct its behavior."

Israeli sources, however, express doubt that the truce will last long. Hamas fighters are "regaining control of the territory, eliminating suspected collaborators and seizing humanitarian supplies," Al-Monitor reported, citing the Israeli military.

In these circumstances, it is not yet possible to talk about the disarmament of the group, as stipulated by the American plan, Palestinian security expert Mohammed al-Masri told Izvestia. According to him, this topic will be discussed only at the second stage of the deal. As part of the first phase of the US President's peace plan, the movement has already released all living hostages and is gradually transferring the bodies of the dead.

"The visit of US Vice President Jay D. Vance is aimed at moving the process forward, first of all, to get Israel to commit not to undermine the ceasefire," the expert noted.

Additional tension was caused by Trump's decision to involve Turkey in the post-war reconstruction of Gaza. In Israel, this is perceived as a threat of the return of structures associated with Hamas to the exclave. According to the Israeli broadcaster Kan, among the proposed participants in the interim administration of Gaza, about half of the figures are associated with the movement, despite Washington's formal demands for the appointment of "technocrats without party affiliation."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to arrive in Israel on Wednesday, who, according to sources in the Times of Israel, will discuss the implementation of Washington's plan to ensure sustainable peace in Gaza. His visit will conclude a week of intensive American contacts to preserve the truce.