Netanyahu Signals Move to Phase Two of Gaza Truce as Mediators Press Next Steps

Overview

• Qatar’s prime minister said the truce cannot be completed without a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
• Hamas stated it would hand over weapons to a sovereign Palestinian authority only after the occupation ends, accepting UN separation forces but rejecting any mission tasked with disarming it.
• Israel’s prime minister said he expects to advance to the plan’s second phase "very soon," describing it as more difficult than the first.
• Negotiations over an international stabilization force remain unresolved, with questions over command, troop contributors and mandate, and Arab states showing reluctance to participate.
• Despite reduced fighting, incidents continue, as mediators work to implement a second phase that links withdrawal, interim governance and demilitarization following initial hostage-prisoner exchanges.