Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the second phase of the U.S.-brokered Gaza peace plan is close, though critical issues—including Hamas’s disarmament—remain unresolved.
“We’ll get him out,” Netanyahu declared at a news conference, referring to the remains of Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, whose body Hamas must return as part of the initial ceasefire. A Red Cross team is reportedly resuming searches for Gvili in Gaza City.
The second stage of President Donald Trump’s plan requires Israel to withdraw further from Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the establishment of a transitional authority, and the beginning of reconstruction. Crucially, Hamas must disarm—a point Netanyahu emphasized after meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem. He stressed that Hamas rule must end and that the group must honor “their commitment” to surrender weapons and demilitarize the strip.
A senior Hamas official recently suggested the group may be open to discussing “freezing or storing” its weapons, signaling a potential, though vague, pathway forward.
Two months into the fragile ceasefire, both sides accuse each other of near-daily violations. Israeli forces still control more than half of Gaza, while Hamas has largely regrouped in the remaining territory.
Netanyahu confirmed he will meet with President Trump on December 29 to advance the next phase of the agreement, as U.S. and international mediators press for progress on the ground.
By James Kisoo
