By JOSEF FEDERMAN
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — With the stays of 1 hostage nonetheless in Gaza, the primary part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire within the battle between Israel and Hamas is sort of full, after a two-month course of tormented by delays and finger-pointing.
Now, the important thing gamers — together with Israel, the Palestinian group Hamas, america and a various listing of worldwide events — are to maneuver to a much more sophisticated second part that would reshape the Center East.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan — which was permitted by the U.N. Safety Council — lays out an bold imaginative and prescient for ending Hamas’ rule of Gaza. If profitable, it might see the rebuilding of a demilitarized Gaza underneath worldwide supervision, normalized relations between Israel and the Arab world and a doable pathway to Palestinian independence.
But when the deal stalls, Gaza may very well be trapped in an unstable limbo for years to return, with Hamas remaining in charge of elements of the territory, Israel’s military imposing an open-ended occupation and its residents caught homeless, unemployed, unable to journey overseas and depending on worldwide help to remain alive.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar and a key mediator, stated over the weekend that the ceasefire is at a essential level, whereas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is about to journey to the White Home this month to debate the subsequent steps.
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FILE – Hamas fighters accompanied by members of the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross (ICRC) head to Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza Metropolis to seek for the stays of deceased hostages, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Picture/Jehad Alshrafi, File)
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FILE – Hamas fighters accompanied by members of the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross (ICRC) head to Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza Metropolis to seek for the stays of deceased hostages, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Picture/Jehad Alshrafi, File)
Here’s a nearer take a look at the subsequent phases of the ceasefire and the potential pitfalls.
Troops for Gaza
Trumps plan requires the formation of a global drive — often known as Worldwide Stabilization Drive — to take care of safety and practice Palestinian police to at some point to take over. That drive has not but been shaped, and a deployment date has not been introduced.
Some international locations — together with Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan and Indonesia — have expressed willingness to take part. However no agency selections have been made.
A U.S. official, talking on situation of anonymity to debate diplomatic talks, says companion international locations are holding conferences this month to finalize operations. He predicted “boots on the bottom” in early 2026.
However there are pitfalls. The drive’s command construction and authorities stay unknown.
Hamas says it’ll oppose any makes an attempt by the drive to disarm it, and contributing nations might to not wish to danger clashes to remove its weapons. Israel, in the meantime, is hesitant to belief a global physique with its safety wants.
Board of Peace
Trump has stated he’ll head a global board to oversee a committee of Palestinian technocrats working Gaza’s day-to-day affairs. The board will oversee reconstruction and an open-ended reform course of by the Palestinian Authority, with the purpose of at some point permitting the internationally acknowledged authority to control Gaza.
To date, Trump is the one board member formally named, although former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s title has been floated as a chance. One other U.S. official, additionally talking on situation of anonymity to debate closed-door deliberations, says members of the board will likely be introduced within the coming weeks.
The important thing problem will likely be forming a board that may work with Israel, Hamas, the mediators and worldwide help companies.
Reconstruction
Trump’s plan requires an financial growth plan to “rebuild and energize Gaza,” which suffered widespread destruction throughout the battle and the place many of the territory’s 2 million persons are displaced and unemployed.
Nonetheless, no such plan has been introduced. Egypt is anticipated to host a convention this month for donor nations to pledge reconstruction help.
The United Nations has estimated the price of rebuilding Gaza would quantity to $70 billion. Elevating that cash will likely be troublesome. Much more troublesome could be discovering a plan acceptable to the various governments concerned, together with their non-public sector companions.
Disarmament
The ceasefire deal requires Hamas to give up all of its weapons underneath the supervision of worldwide screens. Fighters who disarm will likely be granted amnesty and the choice to depart Gaza.
Nonetheless, Hamas, whose ideology is predicated on armed resistance in opposition to Israel, says it is not going to disarm till Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian territories.
Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, instructed The Related Press that the group is open to “ freezing or storing” its weapons whereas a political course of takes place, maybe over a few years. It’s unclear whether or not that’s ample for Israel.
Failure to disarm Hamas might result in renewed preventing with Israel, clashes with worldwide troops and block progress on the remainder of the peace plan.
A Palestinian authorities
The Palestinians are to kind a “technocratic, apolitical” committee to run day by day affairs in Gaza, underneath the supervision of the Board of Peace.
The committee’s members haven’t been introduced and Israel’s opposition to having any Palestinians related to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority on it might make selecting them harder.
It’s also not clear if the committee will give Palestinians any actual voice within the authorities or will exist solely to implement selections by the Board of Peace. If the committee is seen as only a façade, it dangers not gaining public assist and a few figures might balk at becoming a member of it.
Israeli withdrawals
Underneath the ceasefire, Israel is to withdraw from all of Gaza, aside from a small buffer zone alongside the border. In the meanwhile, Israel retains management of simply over half of Gaza.
The plan says additional withdrawals will likely be based mostly upon “requirements, milestones and timeframes linked to demilitarization” to be negotiated by Israel, the U.S., the worldwide drive and different “guarantors.”
There are not any agency timelines for additional withdrawals, and Israel might refuse to drag again additional. Its army chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, referred to as the so-called Yellow Line that divides the Israeli-held a part of Gaza from the remaining a “new border” that may function a “ahead defensive position for our communities.”
Palestinian Authority
The plan requires a reform of the Palestinian Authority, which runs the West Financial institution, and create circumstances for a “credible pathway” to Palestinian statehood.
Palestinian officers have met with Blair and U.S. officers, and have stated they’ve begun reforms in key areas resembling corruption, the training system and funds to households of prisoners convicted in assaults on Israelis.
Israel rejects the creation of a Palestinian state, opposes any position for the authority in postwar Gaza and should oppose makes an attempt to carry it in even when some reforms are made. With out a pathway to statehood, any Palestinian assist for the brand new system might crumble. The plan additionally presents no clear benchmarks or timelines for the reform course of.
