Israel and Hamas have both accused each other of causing delays in the implementation of the second phase of the US-mediated peace agreement in Gaza. The accusations emerged after a senior Hamas leader was killed near Gaza City, with Israel asserting that Palestinian factions were not cooperating in returning the remains of the final captive and were attempting to rearm.
The initial phase of the truce brokered in October aimed at halting hostilities, repatriating living captives and prisoners, returning deceased individuals, and allowing humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Once these conditions are met, the second phase will involve an Israeli retreat, Palestinian disarmament, and an official end to hostilities, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Despite the ceasefire commencing on October 10, Israel has allegedly maintained a consistent offensive on Gaza, conducting around 800 military strikes and resulting in numerous casualties, while hindering the distribution of humanitarian aid.
In a separate development, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, briefed EU foreign ministers on Trump’s Gaza peace strategy through a virtual conference. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot proposed that Kushner and Witkoff update the ministers on the plan’s progress during their meeting in Brussels, according to Reuters.
Israel is pressing for the repatriation of the remains of the final captive, Ran Gvili, as a prerequisite for advancing to the subsequent and more intricate phase of the truce. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Hamas for violating the tenets of the Trump peace accord following the killing of senior Hamas commander Raed Saad, whom he described as instrumental in Hamas’s efforts to fortify and arm itself in the region.