[Global Times correspondent in Egypt Huang Peizhao Global Times reporter Du Tianqi Xian Yifan] According to a report by Qatar Al Jazeera on the 21st, US President Trump said on the 20th local time that he would give the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) "a small opportunity" to abide by the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, while threatening to "eliminate" Hamas if it did not abide by the ceasefire agreement reached with Israel under its mediation. On the same day, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East arrived in Israel. During the meeting, the US special envoy warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "not to undermine the ceasefire agreement in Gaza."
Trump told reporters at the White House when he welcomed Australian Prime Minister Albani: "We have reached an agreement with Hamas to ensure their behavior is very good and if they don't, we will eliminate them," Trump said, however, stressing that the U.S. military will not be involved in fighting Hamas and said dozens of countries that agreed to join the International Forces for Stability in Gaza "will be willing to intervene."
At the time of Trump’s speech, his two senior special envoys met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The Peninsula TV on 21 January that on 20 local time, U.S. Envoy Witkov and Trump’s son-in-law Kushner arrived in Israel and met with Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Witkov and Kushner said that “the U.S. hopes to do everything possible to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement” and that Israeli “self-defense” operations are acceptable but “not at risk of breaking the ceasefire”. Witkov and Kushner also met with senior Israeli defense officials on the same day to verify the progress of the transfer of Israeli and Hamas personnel. Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Delmer said that Israel is still committed to implementing the Gaza cease
On Sunday, Reuters that Israel accused Hamas of violating the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and launching an airstrike that killed dozens of people in Gaza and threatened the implementation of the only one-week ceasefire agreement. In this situation, Netanyahu and Witkov, as well as Kushner, who had been involved in the mediation work, met to urge Israel and Hamas to get the ceasefire agreement back on track. In addition, the Peninsula TV said that U.S. Vice President Watson arrived in Israel on 21 local time and opened a two-day visit.
On the same day that Netanyahu met with the U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, the Gaza Strip reignited. The Israeli Defense Army issued a statement on the 20th that several Palestinian militants crossed the line of withdrawal marked by the Israeli Army in the Gaza Strip, namely the “yellow line”, and fired at the Israeli Army. During the intersection, Israeli drones killed two Palestinian militants, and no people were killed. Netanyahu said on the same day that the Israeli Army dropped 153 tons of bombs at a target in Gaza during the “retaliatory attack” on the 19th day of the Israeli Army’s violation of the ceasefire.
Even in the first phase, the ceasefire agreement was shaken by multiple violent conflicts. It is unclear whether the U.S. can continue to pressure both sides and maintain its momentum to end the conflict. A new round of Israeli conflict has lasted for two years and the latest events highlighted the obstacles faced by “preserving the long-standing pursuit of a ceasefire, avoiding its breakdown” and “to lasting peace”. Key issues such as Hamas’ disarmament, further Israeli withdrawal, and the future governance of the Palestinian Plateau remain unresolved. Trump is striving to save the iconic foreign policy achievements of the second year of his term, while putting pressure on both Hamas and Israel.
According to Agence France-Presse, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on the evening of 20th, saying that the International Committee of the Red Cross earlier received a coffin containing the bodies of Israeli detainees from Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and then handed it over to the Israeli army.
According to Israeli media reports, Israeli troops in the southern part of the Gaza Strip inspected the coffin and sent it into Israel. The bodies were sent to the Abu Kabil Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv for identification. According to the Israeli side, at present, Hamas has handed over 14 bodies to Israel, but one of the dead is not an Israeli detainee.