Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article was created with AI-based technology. Mispronunciations may occur. We are working with our partners to continuously evaluate and improve the results.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement by the United States that the fragile cease-fire in Gaza would move into a second phase raised questions about how the more challenging elements of the largely symbolic ceasefire would be implemented.
Speaking late Wednesday to the parents of the last of Israel’s hostages and their bodies in Gaza, Netanyahu said the announcement as part of the second phase of the Palestinian Authority Committee was only a “statement” but rather a sign of progress as described by US Ambassador Steve Witkoff.
The parents of Israeli police officer Ran Givli had earlier pressured Netanyahu not to advance the ceasefire until their son’s body was returned, the Israel Hostages and Disappeared Families Forum said on Wednesday.
Netanyahu said the return of Givili’s parents was a priority.
While the release of the second phase of Ceasefire was a big step forward, it failed to answer many questions.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on social media Wednesday that the ceasefire is entering a phase focused on demilitarizing Gaza, establishing a technocratic government and rebuilding. However, Witkoff did not provide any details about the new Transitional Palestinian Authority that will govern Gaza.
These included the establishment of a Palestinian expert political steering committee and an international “peace board”.
The composition of the committee is coordinated with Israel, an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity.
In addition to the questions, it includes the timing of the deployment of international forces and the reopening of Gaza’s southern Rafah border crossing, as well as concrete details on disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza.
Challenges await them.
The second cease-fire deal will face more thorny issues than the first, including disarming Hamas and transitioning to a new governing structure after the group’s two decades in the Gaza Strip.
The committee, which was announced as part of the second phase of the Hamas ceasefire, has already announced that it will topple the government. But it remains unclear what will happen to its military arm and Hamas-affiliated civil servants and civilian police.
Bassem Naim, a member of the group’s political bureau, said Thursday that Hamas welcomes the release of the committee’s statement on establishing an independent Palestinian state, but did not elaborate on the issues in question.
As he said on X, “The ball will now be allowed to work against the United States and international mediators.”
Israel says Hamas must lay down its arms, but the group’s leaders have rejected calls for a two-year war to surrender, saying Palestinians have a “right to protest.”
Although progress has been made, violence continues.
Palestinians interviewed by The Associated Press questioned how the transition to Phase 2 would change, pointing to ongoing bloodshed on the ground and challenges to securing basic needs.
More than 450 people have died since Israel and Hamas agreed to end fighting in October, Gaza’s health ministry said Thursday.
The ministry said these victims, which UNICEF said included more than 100 children, were among the 71,441 Palestinians killed since the start of the Israeli offensive.
“We see on the ground that the fighting has not stopped, the bloodshed has not stopped and our suffering in the tent has not ended. Every day there is suffering in the tent, rain and shine, from sun to rain to death,” said Samed Abu Rawag, who was displaced from Jabalia to southern Gaza.
Hamza Abu Shahab, a man from eastern Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, said he was waiting for tangible changes, such as food, fuel and medical care, rather than promises.
“We were happy with this news, but we pray to God that it is not just empty words,” Bekhan Younis told The Associated Press. “We want this news to be real, because in the second season we can return to our home and our environment… God willing, this will not be just empty promises.”
Gaza’s nearly two million people are facing a lack of humanitarian aid to protect them from cold weather and storms, and more importantly temporary housing, which is critical during the winter months.
This is the third winter since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, when militants swept into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.