This came in statements made by the head of the State Information Service affiliated with the Egyptian Presidency, Diaa Rashwan, to the "Cairo News" channel late Thursday evening.
Rashwan said that Netanyahu "is trying by all means to avoid moving to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, by diverting the compass of American attention to other regional issues, foremost among them Iran, Syria and Lebanon."
He explained that the Israeli Prime Minister "is trying to ignite the region away from Gaza, taking advantage of the tension in US-Iranian relations, hoping to push Washington into a confrontation with Tehran, which could reignite the war in Gaza and thwart the second phase of the agreement."
Rashwan asserted that Netanyahu is "maneuvering to obstruct the second phase of the Gaza agreement," while noting, in contrast, the existence of a "clear American veto" preventing renewed clashes in the sector, according to what the channel reported.
He added that "all evidence confirms that the US administration has decided on its position regarding the start of the second phase at the beginning of next January."
The head of the State Information Service believes that US President Donald Trump's reception of the Israeli Prime Minister on December 29th "is likely to be the unequivocal starting signal for the second phase."
Rashwan considered Trump to be "a practical man who wants to complete what he sees as a historic solution," noting that "the only document that bore his name in foreign policy during the year was the ceasefire plan in Gaza, which reflects the centrality of this file to him."
Regarding the expected obstacles to moving forward with the Gaza agreement, Rashwan said that "Netanyahu is trying to reformulate the second phase and limit it to the demand to disarm the resistance, which is not stipulated in the agreement, and the United States is well aware of this."
He pointed to “Israeli efforts to involve the stabilization force in roles unrelated to its mandate, such as disarmament, which is something that the participating countries will not agree to,” stressing that “Netanyahu’s attempts may lead to a delay or slowdown in implementation, but they will not succeed in stopping the second phase, given the American insistence and prior knowledge of the details and limits of the agreement.”
Regarding Tel Aviv's efforts to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, Rashwan said that the idea of displacement "was and still is present among broad segments of the Israeli elite and society, especially the most extreme and right-wing currents."
He added that "the Israeli bet in the last stage was based on the assumption that US President Donald Trump was not sufficiently informed about the complexities of the region when he spoke months ago about the idea of displacement and the creation of what he called Riviera.
He continued: “But after the contacts that took place, especially with the mediating countries, most notably Egypt with Trump and the eight countries, the American president understood the meaning of displacement, and therefore included in his plan that he would not force anyone to leave Gaza, and whoever leaves it voluntarily has the right to return.”
On Thursday, the Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Hayom said that the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, scheduled for December 29, willconclude with a statement on the progress made towards the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
The newspaper added that "the agenda for the Netanyahu-Trump meeting scheduled to be held (in Florida) on Monday will focus on two main issues, one of which will discuss steps to end the war in Gaza, while the other will discuss the Iranian issue behind closed doors."
On October 9, Israel and Hamas reached a two-stage ceasefire agreement in Gaza, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, based on a 20-point plan proposed by Trump to end the war.
The following day, the first phase came into effect, but Israel violated the agreement hundreds of times and did not fully comply with its terms, especially those related to the humanitarian aspect and the entry of aid, despite Hamas’s full commitment, which led to the martyrdom of more than 400 Palestinians, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Israel is also stalling on moving to the second phase, using the excuse that the remains of one of its soldiers are still being held captive in Gaza, even though Palestinian factions continue to search for him amidst the massive destruction left by the Israeli genocide.
The second phase includes "forming a temporary technocratic committee to manage the sector, the reconstruction file, forming a peace council, establishing an international force, further withdrawal of the Israeli army from the sector, in addition to disarming Hamas."
