DEIR BALA, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the U.S. announcement that Gaza’s fragile ceasefire would enter a second phase as largely symbolic, raising questions about how to enforce its more challenging elements.
Speaking late Wednesday to the parents of the last Israeli hostage whose remains remain in Gaza, Netanyahu said the Palestinian Governing Council’s announcement as part of phase two was a “declarative move” and not a sign of progress as described by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
The parents of Israeli police officer Ran Gweli had earlier urged Netanyahu not to move forward with a ceasefire until their son’s body was returned, the Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum said on Wednesday.
Netanyahu told Gweli’s parents that his return remains a priority.
The announcement of the second phase of the ceasefire marks an important step forward, but many questions remain unanswered.
These include the formation of a proposed, non-political Palestinian Expert Governing Council and an international “Peace Council”.
An Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the composition of the committee was coordinated with Israel.
Questions also include the timing of the deployment of international forces and the reopening of the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza, as well as the specifics of disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza.
Ali Shaath, an engineer and former Palestinian Authority official who chairs the committee, told West Bank Basma Radio on Wednesday that he expected reconstruction and recovery to take about three years. He said that would start with urgent needs such as housing.
Gazan Shas said: “If I use a bulldozer to push the rubble into the sea and build new islands and new land (in the sea), it will be a victory for Gaza and (we) will remove the rubble.”
Progress announced, but difficulties remain
Palestinians in Gaza who spoke to The Associated Press questioned what changes entering phase two would actually bring on the ground, citing ongoing bloodshed and challenges in securing basic necessities.
Gaza’s health ministry said Thursday that more than 450 people have been killed since Israel and Hamas agreed to cease fighting in October.
The casualties include more than 100 children, among 71,441 Palestinians killed since the Israeli offensive, according to UNICEF, but the ministry did not say how many were fighters or civilians.
The department is part of the Hamas government and is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and independent experts consider it the most reliable source of war casualties. Israel disputes its data but does not provide its own data.
Samid Abu Rawaq, who was displaced from Jabaliya to southern Gaza, said: “We see on the ground that the war has not stopped, the bloodshed has not stopped, and our suffering in the tents has not ended. There is suffering every day in the tents, rain or shine, from sun and rain to death.”
Hamza Abu Shahab, from eastern Khan Younis in southern Gaza, said he was waiting for tangible changes, such as easier access to food, fuel and medical services, rather than promises.
“We are happy with the news, but we pray to God that this is not just empty words,” he told The Associated Press in Khan Younis. “We need this news to be real because in phase two we will be able to return to our homes and our regions… God willing, it will not be just a blank check.”
Gaza’s more than 2 million people have been struggling to withstand cold weather and storms, while facing shortages of humanitarian aid and much-needed more substantial temporary housing during the winter.
This is the third winter since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 others.
The challenge is ahead
The second phase of the ceasefire will face tougher issues than the first, including the disarmament of Hamas and the transition to a new governance structure after the group ruled the strip for nearly two decades.
The United Nations estimates that reconstruction costs will exceed $50 billion. The process is expected to take years, and little funding has been committed so far.
Hamas said it would dissolve the existing government to make way for the council announced in the second phase of the ceasefire. But it has not yet made clear what will happen to its military or the dozens of civil servants and civilian police affiliated with Hamas.
Bassem Naim, a member of the organization’s politburo, said on Thursday that Hamas welcomed the committee’s announcement as a step toward establishing an independent Palestinian state, but did not elaborate on the issue. “The ball is now in the court of the United States and international mediators” to allow it to operate, he said on X.
Israel insists Hamas must lay down its arms, while the group’s leader has refused to surrender despite two years of war, saying Palestinians have a “right to resist”.
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Metz reported from Jerusalem. Joseph Federman contributed reporting from Jerusalem.