There is concern within the Trump administration that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may abandon the ceasefire deal, several American officials told The New York Times on Tuesday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reportedly said that the strategy is now for US Vice President JD Vance, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and former Trump advisor, Jared Kushner, to keep Netanyahu from resuming military operations against Hamas.
The report follows an incident on Sunday where, in what the IDF described as a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” Hamas terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and opened fire on Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
US President Donald Trump later said that the incident was not ordered by Hamas leaderhsip, but was carried out by "rogue elements." Still, the president has issued new threats against Hamas, claiming that the terror groups murder of Palestinian civilians was a violation of the agreement.
Trump says Hamas must commit to deal or be 'eradicated'
“We made a deal with Hamas that, you know, they’re going to be very good. They’re going to behave. They’re going to be nice,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. “And if they’re not, we’re going to go and we’re going to eradicate them if we have to. They’ll be eradicated. And they know that.”
Also in violation of the agreement, Hamas officials told Reuters that the group intends to maintain security control in Gaza during an interim period and that it could not commit to disarming.
Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal also said the group was ready for a ceasefire of up to five years to rebuild devastated Gaza, with guarantees for what happens afterwards depending on Palestinians being given "horizons and hope" for statehood.
Other US officials have also worked to have prominent ministers change their position on the deal. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday, and "encouraged" him to accept US President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza deal.
Bessent also "underscored the historic return of the hostages, and the great potential for expansion of the Abraham Accords."