President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner departed from Miami this evening, October 19th, 2025, en route to Israel. The departure of Witkoff and Kushner follows a period of heightened tensions in Gaza, including an incident in Rafah that resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers and subsequent Israeli airstrikes and closure of Gaza crossings. US officials had previously informed Israel that the Rafah incident was caused by unexploded ordnance, contradicting initial Israeli claims of a Hamas attack. The White House and Pentagon were aware of the true cause of the explosion shortly after it occurred, according to a source familiar with the matter. This information led to Prime Minister Netanyahu reversing his decision to keep Gaza crossings closed. Mediators have been working to restore and reinforce the Gaza ceasefire following alleged violations by Hamas. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on October 19th, 2025, that it had begun reinforcing the ceasefire and would respond strongly to further breaches. Over the past hour, the IDF reported striking a group of individuals in Jabalia al-Majjah camp described as "Jihadists" who were targeted "unannounced." US President Trump has previously expressed optimism for the Gaza peace plan, signed on October 13th, 2025, envisioning the development of Gaza with improved housing, utilizing land in Egypt and Jordan. Witkoff and Kushner's visit is intended to address ongoing tensions and encourage advancement to "phase two" of the Gaza plan, with concerns raised about the potential impact of repeated incidents on operational willingness in the Strip.
