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These days present a very unusual situation: the pioneering US procession of the caretakers. Their attributes range in their qualifications and characteristics, but they all share the same objective – to stop an Israeli breach, or even demolition, of the fragile truce. After the war finished, there have been scant days without at least one of Donald Trump’s representatives on the scene. Only this past week saw the likes of a senior advisor, Steve Witkoff, JD Vance and a political figure – all coming to perform their assignments.

The Israeli government occupies their time. In only a few days it executed a series of operations in the region after the killings of two Israeli military personnel – resulting, based on accounts, in scores of Palestinian fatalities. Multiple leaders demanded a renewal of the conflict, and the Israeli parliament enacted a preliminary decision to take over the West Bank. The American reaction was somehow ranging from “no” and “hell no.”

But in various respects, the US leadership seems more intent on preserving the existing, tense stage of the peace than on progressing to the next: the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Concerning that, it looks the United States may have ambitions but little specific plans.

For now, it is unknown at what point the planned global governing body will effectively take power, and the same is true for the proposed military contingent – or even the makeup of its soldiers. On Tuesday, Vance declared the US would not force the membership of the foreign contingent on Israel. But if the prime minister's government keeps to reject various proposals – as it acted with the Turkish offer this week – what happens then? There is also the contrary point: who will determine whether the forces preferred by Israel are even willing in the task?

The issue of how long it will take to disarm Hamas is equally ambiguous. “Our hope in the administration is that the multinational troops is going to now take charge in neutralizing Hamas,” said Vance recently. “That’s may need a period.” The former president only reinforced the ambiguity, saying in an interview on Sunday that there is no “rigid” timeline for the group to lay down arms. So, hypothetically, the unnamed members of this not yet established international force could deploy to the territory while Hamas members continue to remain in control. Are they dealing with a administration or a insurgent group? These represent only some of the issues emerging. Others might question what the verdict will be for everyday Palestinians under current conditions, with Hamas carrying on to attack its own adversaries and critics.

Current events have afresh highlighted the blind spots of local reporting on each side of the Gaza border. Every publication seeks to examine every possible aspect of Hamas’s infractions of the truce. And, in general, the reality that Hamas has been delaying the return of the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages has monopolized the coverage.

On the other hand, coverage of civilian deaths in the region caused by Israeli attacks has garnered scant notice – if any. Take the Israeli counter attacks in the wake of Sunday’s Rafah occurrence, in which two troops were fatally wounded. While Gaza’s officials claimed 44 casualties, Israeli television commentators questioned the “limited answer,” which targeted just installations.

This is nothing new. During the past weekend, the press agency accused Israel of violating the peace with the group multiple times since the agreement was implemented, killing 38 Palestinians and injuring an additional 143. The claim appeared unimportant to the majority of Israeli news programmes – it was merely absent. That included reports that eleven members of a local family were killed by Israeli forces recently.

Gaza’s rescue organization reported the group had been attempting to return to their residence in the a Gaza City district of Gaza City when the bus they were in was attacked for supposedly crossing the “boundary” that defines territories under Israeli army authority. That boundary is unseen to the human eye and shows up solely on charts and in authoritative records – often not accessible to everyday residents in the territory.

Yet that event hardly got a reference in Israeli media. One source covered it in passing on its website, citing an Israeli military spokesperson who explained that after a suspicious vehicle was spotted, soldiers shot warning shots towards it, “but the vehicle persisted to move toward the forces in a fashion that created an immediate danger to them. The troops engaged to eliminate the threat, in line with the agreement.” Zero injuries were claimed.

Given this perspective, it is little wonder numerous Israeli citizens think Hamas alone is to blame for breaking the peace. That view risks encouraging demands for a more aggressive strategy in Gaza.

Eventually – perhaps sooner than expected – it will not be adequate for US envoys to act as supervisors, telling the Israeli government what to refrain from. They will {have to|need