Feb 2 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans to end the war in Gaza received a boost on Monday with the reopening of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza enclave and Egypt. But thorny questions remain unresolved, including whether Hamas will disarm.
Trump’s plan, now in its second phase, has been shaken by repeated Israeli attacks that have killed hundreds of people in Gaza and the refusal of Hamas militants to lay down their weapons. Israeli officials say they are preparing to return to war if Hamas refuses to disarm.
Here’s a look at the background to Trump’s plan and the key questions that remain to be resolved.
What is Trump’s plan for Gaza?
In September, Trump outlined a 20-point plan for an initial truce, followed by a broader solution.
It ultimately calls for Hamas to disarm and cease its governance role in Gaza, for Israel to withdraw its troops and for extensive reconstruction of the area under international supervision.
The plan has received widespread international approval, although both sides have not yet fully agreed to everything in it. On October 9, Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement covering the first phase of the plan. These include a halt to fighting, the release of all remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a partial Israeli troop withdrawal, increased aid and the reopening of the Rafah crossing.
Trump’s plan was also endorsed by a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the establishment of a transitional administration and an international stabilization force in Gaza.
How is the situation now? The ceasefire came into effect on October 10, ending large-scale fighting, but the fighting did not stop completely. Health authorities in Gaza say at least 488 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli artillery since October 10, and the Israeli military said four soldiers were killed by militants at that time.
Israeli forces have withdrawn and suspended ground attacks but still control more than 53% of Gaza, including destroyed cities along the Israeli-Egyptian border, where they have demolished remaining buildings and ordered residents to evacuate.
This means that Gaza’s population of more than 2 million is now confined almost entirely to a small coastal area that Hamas has regained control of. Most residents live in damaged buildings or makeshift tents.
Palestinian organizations and aid agencies say Israel is still not allowing supplies to Gaza at the pace agreed in the first phase of the deal. Israel says it is fulfilling those commitments.
Palestinian anti-Hamas militant groups have established bases in Israeli-controlled Gaza; Hamas views them as collaborators without popular support.
The two sides have shown few signs of scaling back the dispute in the next phase, which is expected to include the disarmament of Hamas, a further withdrawal of Israeli troops and the deployment of peacekeepers.
What to expect in Phase 2? Despite deep differences between Israel and Hamas, Washington launched the second phase of the plan after the New Year, announcing the creation of a committee of Palestinian technocrats to govern Gaza.
They will be overseen by a “peace commission” of foreign dignitaries led by Trump, who initially proposed the commission to resolve the Gaza war and later said it would address other conflicts as well.
The second phase of the plan also includes Hamas giving up its weapons and demilitarizing Gaza in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal.
The armed group is still believed to have rockets, with several diplomats estimating the number to be in the hundreds. It is also estimated to possess thousands of small arms, including rifles.
Hamas recently agreed to discuss disarmament issues with other Palestinian factions and mediators, sources said. However, two Hamas officials told Reuters that neither Washington nor mediators had made any detailed or specific disarmament proposals to the group.
Two senior Israeli officials told Reuters the military was preparing to return to war if Hamas did not give up its weapons and did not expect the militants to disarm without the use of force.
Hamas is also seeking to integrate its 10,000 police officers into Gaza’s new technocrat-led government, but Israel opposes the request, the sources said.
What other issues are there yet to be agreed upon?
The purpose of the International Stabilization Force is to ensure security and peace in Gaza. But its composition, role and mission are all yet to be determined.
The Palestinian Authority, which has international recognition and exercises limited autonomy in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is supposed to undergo unspecified reforms before eventually taking on a role in Gaza. However, specific details have not yet been announced.
Plans to fund and oversee Gaza’s reconstruction have yet to be finalized. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, this month laid out plans to rebuild a “New Gaza” from the ground up, including computer-generated photos of gleaming residential towers, data centers and industrial areas.
The plan does not address property rights or compensation for Palestinians who lost their homes, businesses and livelihoods during the war, nor does it say where displaced Palestinians might live during reconstruction.
Many Israelis and Palestinians suspect Trump’s plans will never fully come to fruition and that the frozen conflict will continue indefinitely.
(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Peter Graff)
