Jared Kushner, envoy and son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump, returned to Israel on Monday as mediators confront new challenges in advancing the fragile Gaza ceasefire agreement toward its next, more complex phase.
Key points of contention remain unresolved, including the disarmament of Hamas, the reconstruction and future governance of Gaza, and the potential deployment of an international security force to the territory.
The absence of a definitive timeline for discussions, likely requiring significant concessions from both Israel and Hamas, casts doubt on the prospects for progress.
A recent challenge involves scores of Hamas fighters believed to be in tunnels beneath the southern city of Rafah, behind the “Yellow Line” demarcating the area under Israeli control.
Last week, US special envoy Steve Witkoff suggested an amnesty for fighters who lay down their arms, proposing it as a potential “model” for the rest of Gaza.
Witkoff estimated that 200 fighters were trapped, though this figure remains unconfirmed.
According to media reports, Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the issue during a meeting in Jerusalem on Monday.
Hamas has previously rejected surrender for its fighters and demanded safe passage, a condition thus far rejected by Israel.
An Israeli government spokeswoman stated that Netanyahu and Kushner discussed “phase one, which we are currently still in, to bring our remaining hostages, and the future of phase two of this plan, which includes the disarming of Hamas, demilitarising Gaza, and ensuring Hamas will have no role in the future of Gaza ever again”.
The Gaza conflict was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages.
Since then, Israeli attacks in Gaza have resulted in over 69,000 fatalities, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable.
The initial phase of the ceasefire, which commenced last month, centered on halting hostilities, securing the release of all hostages, and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Twenty living hostages and the remains of 24 deceased captives have been released, with four bodies remaining in Gaza.
In exchange, Israel has released 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza held without charge or trial. It has also returned the remains of 315 Palestinians from Gaza.
Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of truce violations, with Israel citing delays in the return of hostage remains and Hamas alleging that Israel has killed at least 240 Palestinians and restricted aid entry.
Hamas has previously refused to disarm, stating it would only do so upon the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel opposes any involvement in Gaza’s governance by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank. Countries are hesitant to commit troops to a multinational force without clear objectives, fearing confrontations with Hamas and other Palestinian factions.
The Israeli military currently occupies 53% of Gaza’s territory and is expected to further withdraw in the next phase of the plan.
With no imminent breakthroughs in negotiations, sources told Reuters news agency that a de-facto partition of Gaza, separating Israeli-controlled territory from Hamas-ruled areas, was increasingly likely, with reconstruction talks potentially limited to Israeli-controlled areas.
Arab nations have voiced concerns that the current separation could become a permanent division of Gaza.
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