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U.S. President Trump’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner met with senior Israeli military officials to discuss preparations for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, according to Israeli media reports.
The meeting took place during Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to Israel. It included Military Intelligence Directorate Chief Shlomi Binder and Head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Planning Directorate Eyal Harel.
According to reports by Yedioth Ahronoth, discussions focused on the next stage of the ceasefire plan, which involves deploying international forces in Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.
Israeli officials reportedly expressed concern over the tunnel networks still present across large parts of the Gaza Strip and requested that international forces prioritize their destruction.
Witkoff and Kushner also conveyed messages from mediators Qatar, Türkiye, and Egypt regarding the recent incident in Rafah that left two Israeli soldiers dead, relaying that “the attack was not directed or coordinated by Hamas.”
During the meeting, the Israeli side called for accelerating efforts to recover the bodies of deceased Israeli captives and urged Hamas to fulfill its commitments by returning them.
Reports noted that Gaza’s reconstruction remains contingent on the return of all bodies and the complete disarmament of Hamas.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s second phase of the Gaza peace plan includes the deployment of an international peacekeeping force, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the disarmament of Hamas militants.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in Rafah on Oct. 19, after which Israel carried out a series of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, citing attacks by Hamas against Israeli military units.
Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, denied involvement in the incident, reiterating its commitment to the ceasefire.
Earlier, Witkoff and Kushner met in Tel Aviv with several Israeli hostages who had been freed under the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
According to a statement from the hostages’ families, the two U.S. officials were thanked for their role in securing the release of 20 live captives and the return of 13 bodies out of 28 deceased hostages.
The freed captives urged Witkoff and Kushner to continue their efforts to bring back the remaining 15 bodies from Gaza.
Witkoff affirmed that the U.S. administration remains committed to facilitating the return of the deceased hostages.
Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to Israel also included talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to review the progress of the ceasefire agreement and coordinate next steps in the peace process.
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