Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that he is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month to discuss the imminent second phase of Trump’s Gaza initiative. The anticipated discussions aim to explore potential pathways to peace and the cessation of Hamas’s control in Gaza. Netanyahu highlighted ongoing negotiations concerning the subsequent stages of Trump’s strategy to resolve the prolonged conflict in the Palestinian territory.
The proposed plan encompasses the liberation of Israeli captives and the establishment of an interim technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza. This governance structure would be supervised by an international peace council and supported by a global security contingent. Netanyahu emphasized the significance of forthcoming deliberations at the end of the month to ensure the successful realization of the plan’s next phase.
Netanyahu also mentioned the nearing completion of the initial phase of Trump’s initiative. Although hostilities have decreased since the commencement of the Gaza ceasefire on October 10, sporadic attacks persist. Notably, Hamas has so far repatriated all but one of the 20 hostages alive, along with 27 bodies, in exchange for the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners. The body of one hostage remains unrecovered in Gaza.
