The Gaza ceasefire deal has entered a critical phase, and the world is watching with bated breath. This is a story of power, politics, and the pursuit of peace in a region that has known little of it. But here's where it gets controversial...
The Quest for Peace: A Complex Journey
The White House has quietly announced the commencement of 'phase two' of the Gaza ceasefire, a plan that aims to bring about lasting change and, hopefully, peace to the war-torn territory. However, the path to this peace is riddled with complex issues and potential pitfalls.
A Truce, But Not Quite
The first phase of the ceasefire, which began almost 14 weeks ago, saw a significant reduction in the intensity of attacks on Gaza. Yet, the truce is far from perfect. Palestinian health authorities report a grim toll: 449 killed and 1,246 injured, mostly civilians, including women and children. Israel justifies its continued strikes as necessary to enforce the ceasefire, accusing Hamas of violating the deal and re-establishing its presence in areas from which the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have withdrawn. Hamas, on the other hand, argues that the high civilian casualties suggest otherwise.
Critics of Israel's actions point to its ongoing attacks in Lebanon, even after a year-long truce with Hezbollah, as a potential indicator of its future behavior. This raises questions about the sincerity of Israel's commitment to peace and the potential for a lasting resolution.
Hostages and Delays
The return of Israeli hostages has been a key condition of the ceasefire deal. When it began, there were 20 living and 28 deceased Israeli captives, all of whom were to be handed over. Now, only one remains, but the process has been far from smooth. Israel has criticized Hamas for delays in returning the remains of hostages, accusing them of breaching the deal. Hamas, for its part, has cited the extensive destruction in Gaza and the presence of some remains in Israeli-controlled territories as reasons for the delays.
The US, through its peace envoy Steve Witkoff, has made it clear that Hamas must fully comply with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage. Failure to do so, Witkoff warns, will have serious consequences.
Rafah Crossing: A Point of Contention
Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization under Australian law, has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire by refusing to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt to two-way traffic for people and aid. Israel, however, insists that it will not allow this until the final hostage is returned. This has led to a standoff, with Egypt and several other Arab and Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Indonesia, condemning Israel's announcement and calling for the crossing to be opened from both sides.
The foreign ministers of these countries issued a statement, emphasizing their absolute rejection of any attempts to expel the Palestinian people from their land. This adds a layer of complexity to an already delicate situation.
Disarming Hamas: A Tricky Proposition
A central aspect of US President Donald Trump's peace plan is the demilitarization of Hamas. While this is part of the agreed deal, the path to achieving it is unclear. On December 7, 2025, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim expressed the group's willingness to discuss options, suggesting they could freeze, store, or lay down their weapons with Palestinian guarantees during the ceasefire.
However, whether this satisfies Israel's and the US's demands for disarmament remains to be seen. Another senior Hamas official, Khaled Mashal, has been quoted as saying that the group's weapons are a right to self-defense, casting doubt on their willingness to disarm fully. Hamas continues to exert control in the strip, targeting anti-Hamas militias and executing claimed collaborators.
There are reports that Hamas has offered to halt attacks on Israel for up to a decade and bury its weapons if Israeli forces completely withdrew from the strip. Israel, however, has always insisted on maintaining a 'buffer zone' along the Israel-Gaza border, a stance that Hamas has opposed, stating they won't disarm while Israeli forces remain in the strip.
The specifics and timeline of such a deal are expected to be discussed when Netanyahu meets Trump in the US later this month.
International Troops: A Controversial Proposal
The Trump plan calls for the deployment of an international stabilization force into Gaza to guarantee security control of the strip as part of phase two. The composition of this force and the timeline for its deployment are still unknown. While several countries, including Egypt and Indonesia, have expressed willingness to join, Israel is insisting on veto power over the participating countries.
Netanyahu has made it clear that Turkiye will play no role in the force, despite its stated intention to join and its role in negotiating the ceasefire deal. This has led to a tense situation, with Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, stating that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would only get as close to Gaza as the end of a set of binoculars.
The debate over this force seemed to have cooled, but the US's declaration of progress might reheat the discussion.
The Board of Peace: A Questionable Leadership
Donald Trump has stated that he will chair the 'Board of Peace', a body designed to help govern Gaza. However, the only other name originally associated with this organization was that of former UK prime minister Tony Blair. But on December 8, the Financial Times reported that Blair had been dropped due to staunch opposition from Arab nations, who were reportedly concerned about his legacy, given his support for the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The identities and duties of other members of the board remain unknown, although there are reports that British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been offered a role. The board's representative on the ground, working with the new technocratic Palestinian authority to run Gaza, is Nickolay Mladenov, a former UN Middle East envoy and Bulgarian politician. He recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who seemed to approve of his appointment.
The Palestinians who will govern Gaza have also started to be revealed, with Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, leading the charge.
Territory and Rebuilding: A Delicate Balance
Israel holds more than 50% of Gaza's territory, with the boundary known as the 'Yellow Line'. The peace plan dictates a staged withdrawal as the truce progresses, but there are deep fears that Israel will seek to hold on to this land, effectively creating a permanent partitioned territory. On December 7, the Israeli military's Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, described the Yellow Line as a new border line, serving as a forward defensive line for their communities and a line of operational activity.
Volker Turk, the UN Human Rights chief, disagreed, stating that it could not be called a border or anything else; it is about a territory [Gaza] that needs to be respected in its entirety. Critics argue that rebuilding efforts could occur in Israeli-controlled areas but not in Hamas-dominated land.
The lack of firm timelines on Israeli withdrawals and rebuilding efforts fuels concerns about Israel's continued occupation of Gaza. However, this is partly reliant on the deployment of the international stabilization force, a proposal that remains uncertain.
This complex web of issues and potential solutions leaves one wondering: What will truly bring about peace in Gaza? And will the proposed changes lead to a better future for all involved, or just more conflict? These are questions that only time will answer, but the world watches on, hoping for a positive outcome.
