Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Image source, Getty Images

It has been one week since US President Donald Trump was given a hero's welcome in Israel after securing the Gaza ceasefire and exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

But the days since have shown just how precarious the ceasefire is, and Sunday brought its biggest test so far.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a series of deadly strikes across Gaza, after two soldiers were killed in an attack it blamed on Hamas. An Israeli security official announced the suspension of aid deliveries.

It appears US pressure ensured the truce was not derailed and that Israel's crossings with Gaza reopened earlier today. Now it is clear mediators must stay closely involved to shore up the deal and settle key issues on the future of Gaza and Hamas.

Already, Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are back in the region while Hamas negotiators are meeting Egyptian mediators and Palestinian factions in Cairo.

All are expected to discuss the second phase of Trump's 20-point peace plan, which involves deploying an international stabilisation force in Gaza, the eventual withdrawal of the IDF and critically, the disarmament of Hamas.

We are closing our Middle East coverage, but you can read more here in our main story.

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

The Israeli military has published video that shows bulldozers towing yellow blocks into place to physically mark out the line its forces have withdrawn to inside the Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continues to control more than half the Palestinian territory.

Recent days have seen repeated incidents of deadly fire killing Gazans who have crossed the so-called “Yellow Line”, and many residents say they are confused about its location, which can only be viewed on maps Online.

Local sources say three Palestinians have been killed by Israeli tank fire in two of the latest incidents across the Yellow Line, in Shejaiya, east of Gaza City. The IDF said its troops had fired at “terrorists” who posed “an immediate threat to them.”

On Sunday, Israel blamed Hamas for an attack killing two of its soldiers within the Israeli-held zone in southern Gaza. It then launched a series of deadly strikes across the Strip in the most serious test of the ceasefire deal to date.

On Friday, 11 members of the Abu Shaaban family – including seven children – were killed on the outskirts of Gaza City. It appeared that they had been checking on their home when they drove over the withdrawal line.

The Israeli military said: “a suspicious vehicle was identified” and that its troops fired warning shots, but the vehicle continued to approach them.

As we've been reporting, Israel is yet to open the Rafah crossing, which sits on the border of south Gaza and Egypt.

But a few miles east, trucks carrying aid have been able to enter the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom crossing after it reopened this morning.

Here's how it looks as lines of lorries make their way across the border.

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Image source, Reuters

President Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have arrived in Israel after the Gaza ceasefire temporarily broke down yesterday.

An attack blamed on Hamas killed two Israeli soldiers and then dozens of Israeli strikes killed at least 45 Palestinians, Gazan hospitals say.

Today, Israeli tank fire has reportedly killed at least three people east of Gaza City near an agreed-upon ceasefire line.

Despite the repeated flare-ups in violence, the US envoys are expected to push for the start of the second stage of the peace plan.

It involves setting up an interim government in the territory, deploying an international stabilisation force, the withdrawal of Israeli troops and disarmament of Hamas.

Israel has said it wants the return of all deceased hostages before starting such negotiations.

With the Israeli military still in control of more than half the Gaza Strip, there have been two more deadly incidents in which its troops have opened fire on Palestinians crossing the agreed upon ceasefire line – saying they pose a threat.

Israel’s army has now put out a video showing bulldozers towing yellow blocks to mark out the line’s location.

Fifty-seven bodies were brought to local hospitals in the last 24 hours, says Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry in its latest update.

The health ministry says this brings the total number of people killed since 7 October 2023 to 68,216, with a further 170,361 injured.

The Hamas-run authority says 12 of the bodies were recovered from rubble, and 45 killed by "direct targeting" by Israel in the past 24 hours.

• As a reminder, the Israeli military yesterday carried out a series of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, after accusing Hamas of attacks in a "bold violation of the ceasefire". Hamas has reaffirmed its "full commitment" to the truce and said it wasn't connected to clashes reported in the south of the Strip

The ministry also says a further 158 people were injured in the past 24 hours, and adds that "a number of victims" remain under rubble in Gaza as search and rescue operations in the Strip continue.

Image source, Reuters

We're now seeing multiple Israeli media sources saying US Vice President JD Vance will be arriving in Israel tomorrow.

According to local media, citing a statement from the Israel Airports Authority (IAA), Vance is set to arrive at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion international airport.

The Israeli media sources report that the IAA statement says traffic disruptions are expected around the airport between 10:30 and 13:30 local time (08:30 - 11:30 BST) as Vance touches down. The White House and Israeli Prime Minister's Office are yet to confirm the trip.

Earlier on, today, Donald Trump's advisor Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff were reported to have arrived in Israel for talks on part two of the ceasefire plan.

Image source, Israeli Defence Ministry via Reuters

Israel is now putting physical markers along the yellow line which marks the new position Israeli forces agreed to withdraw to under the ceasefire agreement.

This follows a directive from Defence Minister Israel Katz, says the Israeli Ministry of Defence.

It comes after the Israeli military said its troops opened fire on people who crossed the yellow line citing "an immediate threat" to its soldiers.

Earlier, we brought you news from the Israeli military, which said its troops opened fire in Gaza at people who crossed the line and posed "an immediate threat" to Israeli soldiers.

Israel's foreign ministry has now given more details, saying Hamas "crossed the yellow area in the Shujaiya area" twice.

"Those violations come after Hamas carried out a coordinated attack killing two IDF soldiers yesterday," the ministry writes. "Israel will always act to protect its civilians and soldiers against any threat."

As a reminder, Hamas has said it was "unaware" of any clashes in the area under Israeli control.

Image source, EPA

It has been ten days since mediators brokered the truce in what’s being described as the first step in Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.

The next phase, according to the White House’s plan, focuses on the governance of the Gaza Strip and establishing a government to replace Hamas in the enclave.

The details show it would be governed under temporary transitional governance by a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering day-to-day public services and running municipalities for people in Gaza.

This committee would be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight from a new international transitional body, the "Board of Peace", which would be headed and chaired by President Trump. Other members would include former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

As our correspondent Yolande Knell has written, US officials are keen to move on to the next phase - although a lot is still unclear at the moment.

Key questions remain unresolved in the peace plan as US aides arrive in Israelpublished at 12:01 BST 20 October

12:01 BST 20 October

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

According to Israeli media, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner have already arrived in Israel.

They had been expected here to talk about phase two of the ceasefire deal and how to move things forward.

But it looks like even before they left the US they were having to shore up the existing ceasefire deal.

Key questions which remain unresolved from President Trump's peace plan are all about the future of Gaza and the future of Hamas.

Who will govern in Gaza? How to get Hamas to disarm? What will the security situation look like in Gaza so that the Strip can be rebuilt?

At the moment it all looks very uncertain.

Image source, EU

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot says he will propose the deployment of an EU mission to Gaza to help train police officers.

Ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg this morning, he tells reporters: "I will suggest that the mission that is currently contributing to the training of Palestinian police officers deployed in the West Bank should be able to train Palestinian police officers in Gaza to support reforms."

A mission called EUPOL COPPS, set up in 2006 by the EU, works to improve civil police and law enforcement in the West Bank.

US President Donald Trump says the ceasefire is still in place after deadly fighting broke out in southern Gaza on Sunday between Hamas and Israel - with both sides accusing the other of violating the agreement.

Here's a quick summary of some key lines from today:

• Trump says despite the clashes, the situation will be "handled toughly, but properly"
• Donald Trump's advisor Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Israel earlier today, and are expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with US Vice-President JD Vance, who is expected to travel to Israel on Tuesday
• The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) opened fire on "several" people who crossed the yellow line - where the army agreed to withdraw to following the ceasefire agreement for "posing an immediate threat" to soldiers
• Israel has reopened two crossings - Kerem Shalom, in the far south-east of the strip, and Kissufim in central Gaza - after saying they would suspend aid on Sunday

Image source, Reuters

Reuters news agency has heard from a displaced Palestinian who says she can't go back to her neighbourhood because it's currently occupied by Israel.

Hala Obaid is from the Shujaiya neighbourhood in Gaza City, near the yellow line that marks the area under Israeli military control.

She now lives in a tent in Gaza City close to the area.

“The place I'm at here is also very dangerous, meaning we face death at any moment, because when I or the children go out, the bullets come at us, sometimes from under our feet and above our tents," Obaid says.

The Israeli military has said today it fired at people who crossed the line and posed "an immediate threat" to soldiers operating in Shujaiya.

“It is enough, we have suffered for two years, we want to rest, we want peace of mind," Obaid says. "It is enough for us to sleep with peace of mind, without fear, but we now sleep (in fear) despite them saying there is a truce and a deal, but there is nothing.”

Image source, Reuters

An official from the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency Unrwa has welcomed the resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza, but says “bureaucratic constraints” are still preventing the delivery of important supplies.

Sam Rose, Acting Director of Unrwa Affairs in Gaza, tells the BBC News channel that while it’s a “relief” the crossings have reopened, the volume of aid is still “way below what is needed”.

Rose also says issues remain over the type of supplies being allowed in by Israel, adding that educational supplies and temporary accommodation are also needed alongside “the real basics that people need to survive”.

“It’s not just the type of items but also the organisations that are permitted to bring those supplies in,” he says. “International NGOs - including many British NGOs - are not currently permitted to bring those supplies in.”

Image source, Reuters

Israeli officials will reopen two crossings to allow aid trucks back into Gaza, according to Palestinian media and AFP news agency.

The crossings are Kerem Shalom, in the far south-east of the strip, and Kissufim in central Gaza.

On Sunday, Israel said it was suspending humanitarian aid into Gaza, after its military accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement. However, later the same day, Israel said aid deliveries would resume on Monday.

Image source, Maayan Toaf

As we've been reporting, US Vice-President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner are set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push Trump's 20-point peace plan.

This follows deadly fighting in Gaza on Sunday, Israel's anger over Hamas not being able to return the bodies of the deceased hostages quickly, and the US accusing the Palestinian group of attacking people in Gaza.

Here's a recap of who said what ahead of their meeting:

US President Donald Trump has said the ceasefire is still holding, adding that "it's going to be handled toughly, but properly".

Jared Kushner has expressed his belief that Hamas is seriously looking for the bodies and has "honour their agreement".

JD Vance said keeping peace between both sides is "going to have hills and valleys", but he still thinks "it has the best chance".

Hamas said the police were "fulfilling their national duty" in response to accusations of attacking people in Gaza. They also accused Israel of breaking the ceasefire plan.

The Israeli military has said it has begun "renewed enforcement of the ceasefire", adding it would "respond firmly to any violation of it".

Donald Trump's advisor Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have arrived in Israel, according to AFP news agency and Israeli media.

As mentioned, the pair are expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with US Vice-President JD Vance, who is expected to travel on Tuesday.

Image source, Reuters

US Vice-President JD Vance is expected to visit Israel on Tuesday to continue efforts to push Donald Trump's peace plan, according to several media outlets in the US and Israel.

The administration wants to move to phase two of Trump's 20-point plan, NewsNation reports.

Israeli media N12 and the Times of Israel say Vance will hold meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and advisor Jared Kushner, who are also visiting the country.

N12 also reports that Vance is expected to visit a humanitarian centre in the Gaza Strip and meet families of hostages.

Hamas says it has found another body of an Israeli hostage in Gaza.

The group's military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, pledged on 19 October to hand over the body on the same day "if the field conditions allow", according to a statement on Telegram.

However, it appears the transfer hasn't happened yet.

Of the 28 deceased hostages in Gaza, 16 are still to be returned. The delay has caused outrage in Israel. Hamas says it's struggling to locate the remaining bodies.

In its latest statement, Hamas says "any Israeli escalation will impede search, excavation and the recovery of bodies".

Image source, EPA

Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Saar, says he has spoken to his Thai counterpart after the return of a deceased Thai hostage's body over the weekend.

Saar says he briefed Sihasak Phuangketkeow on the return of Sonthaya Akrasri's body on Saturday night.

Israel will provide "assistance and benefits" to Akrasri's family, as they have with other Thai workers, says Saar.

• You can read about Sonthaya Akrasri in our earlier post