Gaza ceasefire enters phase two despite unresolved issues

A US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza has entered its second phase, even as major disputes between Israel and Hamas remain unresolved over alleged ceasefire violations, disarmament and Israel’s military withdrawal from the enclave.

The most contentious issues continue to be Hamas’s refusal to publicly commit to full disarmament — a non-negotiable demand for Israel — and Israel’s lack of clarity on whether it will fully withdraw its forces from Gaza. While a Palestinian technocratic committee has been announced to manage day-to-day governance in post-war Gaza, broader political and security questions remain unanswered.

Phase one: gains and gaps

The first phase of the plan, part of a 20-point proposal unveiled by US President Donald Trump, began on October 10. It focused on halting hostilities, facilitating humanitarian aid and securing the return of all living and deceased hostages held by Hamas and allied militant groups.

All hostages have been returned except for the remains of one Israeli, Ran Gvili. Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the handover of Gvili’s body, while Hamas says extensive destruction in Gaza has made locating the remains difficult. Gvili’s family had urged mediators to postpone the transition to phase two.

“Moving on breaks my heart. Have we given up? Ran did not give up on anyone,” his sister, Shira Gvili, said after mediators announced the move.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said efforts to recover Gvili’s remains would continue but has not publicly commented on the launch of the second phase.

Hamas has accused Israel of repeated ceasefire violations, including air strikes, firing on civilians and advancing the so-called “Yellow Line,” an informal boundary separating Israeli-controlled areas from those under Hamas authority. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said Israeli forces have killed 451 people since the ceasefire began.

Israel’s military said it had targeted suspected militants who crossed into restricted zones near the Yellow Line and said three Israeli soldiers were killed by militants during the same period.

Aid agencies say Israel has failed to allow the volume of humanitarian assistance envisaged under phase one — a claim Israel rejects. Gaza, whose borders remain under Israeli control, continues to face severe shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel. Israel and the United Nations have repeatedly disputed figures on aid deliveries.

Phase two: disarmament and governance

Under the second phase, Gaza is to be administered by a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee operating under the supervision of a “Board of Peace,” to be chaired by Trump.

“The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee,” senior Hamas leader Bassem Naim said on Thursday.

Trump announced that the Board of Peace had been formed and that its members would be named “shortly.”

Mediators Egypt, Turkiye and Qatar said Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, has been appointed to lead the committee. Egyptian state television later reported that all committee members had arrived in Egypt and begun preparatory meetings ahead of their entry into Gaza.

Al-Qahera News, which is close to Egypt’s state intelligence services, said the development followed US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff’s announcement on Wednesday marking the formal start of phase two.

Shaath has said the committee would rely on “brains rather than weapons” and would not coordinate with armed groups.

Witkoff said phase two aims at the “full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza,” including the disarmament of all unauthorized armed factions. He warned that Hamas must fulfil its remaining obligations, including the return of Gvili’s body, or face “serious consequences.”

The plan also envisions deploying an International Stabilization Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units.

For Palestinians, the central issue remains Israel’s full military withdrawal from Gaza — a step included in the framework but without a detailed timetable.

With fundamental disagreements persisting over disarmament, withdrawal and governance, diplomats say the success of phase two will depend on sustained pressure from mediators and whether both sides are willing — or able — to move beyond long-standing red lines.