Israel’s demands for the second phase of the Gaza agreement are presented to the cabinet
Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to present, in the cabinet session that will be held, Tuesday, the Israeli demands for the second stage of the prisoner exchange deal, which Hamas won’t accept, according to estimates in Israel.
The demands include exiling Hamas’s leadership from Gaza, dismantling Hamas’ military wing of its weapons, and returning all prisoners, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
The Israeli newspaper indicated that the second phase will begin only after the cabinet session, Tuesday.
Yedioth Ahronoth explained, that the Israeli delegation that traveled to the capital, Doha, is only dealing with the first phase, and is continuing its talks and implementing the continuation of the pulses of the first phase.
Yedioth Ahronoth pointed out that Netanyahu reached agreements on the principles of the second phase with US President Donald Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff, but amid estimates that Hamas won’t accept them, the Israeli side will work to extend the first phase as much as possible to allow for the return of additional prisoners and extend the ceasefire.
In this context, the Israeli newspaper said that the second phase of the deal, which includes the end of the war, is in fact the beginning of the next day in the Gaza Strip, as Hamas’ main demand is to end the war, in order to agree to the release of the 65 Israeli and foreign prisoners not included in the first phase, who are considered a final bargaining chip.
The talk here is about a complete end to the fighting, that is, a sustainable calm without reservations, whereby Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip entirely and allows billions of dollars to flow from other countries to rebuild it.
Yedioth Ahronoth continued, “Israel will face the question of whether to return to fighting if the first phase isn’t extended, while 65 prisoners, some of whom are still alive, remain with Hamas”.
On the other hand, Israel’s transition to the second stage, in the context of accepting Hamas’ demands, may put Netanyahu in a political predicament, as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionism party announced that they will demand, at the end of the first stage, a return to fighting and the elimination of Hamas.
Earlier, US officials said that Netanyahu confirmed, during his talks in Washington, that he wants to try to extend the first phase of the agreement beyond the 42-day ceasefire, in order to release more prisoners, in addition to the 33 included in the first phase, and that Israel will prepare to release more Palestinian prisoners, according to conditions to be determined later.
US officials added that Netanyahu indicated, in his talks in Washington, that he intends to enter negotiations on the second phase of the deal, and to present a proposal to Hamas that includes ending the war and releasing the heavy Palestinian prisoners, whom Israel didn’t agree to release in the first phase.
In return, “all prisoners still held by Hamas would be released, the movement would hand over power in the Strip, and its top leaders, including those released from prison, would leave for abroad,” US officials said.
According to Israeli officials, “Hamas has agreed to give up civil control and reconstruction in the Strip, and transfer responsibility for that to another entity, such as the Palestinian Authority, or an independent administration,” according to the Israeli Walla website, which confirmed that Hamas is prepared to give up civil authority, but it’s not prepared to give up its military power, or the weapons in its hands.
At the same time, Israeli officials also estimate that the chances of senior Hamas officials in Gaza agreeing to leave the Strip are very slim, which could lead to the collapse of the deal and the renewal of the war for several months, according to Walla website.
