Gaza Ceasefire Agreement Faces Challenges as Trump Pushes for Phase Two While Netanyahu Resists
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Gaza ceasefire agreement faces significant hurdles as conflicting positions emerge between the United States and Israel regarding the implementation of its second phase. The deal, brokered earlier this year, has seen partial compliance but remains mired in disputes over key provisions.
Under the terms already implemented, Palestinian resistance groups have freed all 21 living Israeli captives held in Gaza and handed over the bodies of 27 others, though one remains missing. In return, Israeli forces released 1,968 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences, and returned 345 bodies of deceased detainees. Israeli troops have withdrawn from some areas of Gaza but still occupy over 54% of the territory.
Phase two proposals, based on a plan by US President Donald Trump, include establishing an international peacekeeping force, further Israeli withdrawals to reduce occupied areas to 20% of Gaza, and creating a technocratic Palestinian government. However, Netanyahu’s cabinet has resisted moving forward, demanding complete disarmament of Hamas and the return of the remaining captive’s body as preconditions.
The agreement has been marred by numerous violations, with Palestinian authorities documenting 740 breaches by Israeli forces since signing. These incidents have resulted in 386 fatalities, 980 injuries, and 43 arrests. Humanitarian provisions have also fallen short, with only 14,534 of 37,200 promised aid trucks entering Gaza, and strict Israeli controls limiting essential supplies.
While the Trump administration seeks to showcase the agreement as a foreign policy success ahead of elections, Israel aims to maintain security control without conceding Palestinian sovereignty. Hamas, for its part, insists on full Israeli withdrawal and preserves its right to armed resistance while calling for urgent reconstruction efforts in the devastated territory.
