Israel Hayom newspaper, quoting an informed source, reported that Washington informed Tel Aviv that the transition to the second phase of the agreement could take place even while the search for the remains of prisoner Ran Goeli continues, stressing that the first phase resulted in the recovery of a larger number of living prisoners and bodies than expected.The newspaper said: "In messages conveyed during the last 12 hours, the Americans said that the agreement brought back a number of living hostages and bodies that were more than expected, even according to Israeli estimates." It added: "Initial estimates indicated that Hamas would keep at least a number of bodies," according to the newspaper
She continued: "However, Trump's team does not want to impose this step (starting the second phase) on Israel, and wants to obtain Netanyahu's approval."
Israel is conditioning the start of the second phase on receiving the remains of Goeili, while Netanyahu, according to the newspaper, fears internal criticism if he announces the move before the remains are returned.
The US administration says its plan will ultimately lead to the "disarmament of Hamas," contrary to doubts within Israel about the ability of the future international stabilization force to achieve this. Hamas, for its part, maintains its willingness to hand over its weapons to a Palestinian Authority if the "occupation ends.
These developments came at a time when Egypt stressed the importance of moving forward with the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
During a phone call on Tuesday with his American counterpart Marco Rubio, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty stressed the need to move to this stage, which includes managing Gaza through a transitional government composed of a non-political Palestinian technocratic committee, along with an American economic plan to rebuild the sector.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the call addressed ongoing efforts to implement President Trump’s plan and consolidate the Sharm el-Sheikh peace agreement, stressing the need to ensure the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2803 and the formation of an international stabilization force in Gaza, in addition to ensuring the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid in light of the catastrophic conditions in which the population lives.
The agreement was supposed to end a war of extermination that Israel, with American support, started in Gaza on October 7, 2023, which left more than 70,000 martyrs and 171,000 wounded Palestinians, most of them children and women.
Israel violates the agreement daily, resulting in the deaths of 377 Palestinians and injuries to 987, according to a statement issued by the Gaza Health Ministry on Tuesday. It also prevents the entry of sufficient food and medicine into the besieged Gaza Strip, where some 2.4 million Palestinians live in dire conditions.
