WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the US announced the start of the second phase of Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, saying phase one “delivered historic humanitarian aid and maintained the ceasefire”, despite Israel having violated the agreement more than 1,200 times, killing hundreds of civilians and blocking much-needed aid from entering the enclave.
What the US say
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has announced the launch of the second phase of Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, “moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction”.
Witkoff said in a social media post on Wednesday that the second phase will establish a transitional administration to govern over the bombarded Palestinian territory and see the “full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza”.
What Are the Terms of the Ceasefire?
On September 29, the US unveiled a 20-point proposal to end Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, release the remaining captives held in the enclave, allow the full entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged territory and outline a three-phase withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Some of the main conditions of the first phase, which is ongoing, include:
- An end to hostilities in Gaza
- Lifting the blockade of all aid into Gaza by Israel and stopping its interference in aid distribution
- Release of all captives held in Gaza – alive or dead – by Hamas
- Release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and disappeared people from Israeli jails
- Withdrawal of Israeli forces to the “yellow line”
On October 10, Trump’s ceasefire took effect in the Gaza Strip.
Witkoff claimed that phase one “delivered historic humanitarian aid, maintained the ceasefire”.
Is this true? No. So, What Palestinians Say
In response to the announcement, the Gaza Government Media Office said on Thursday that Israel has violated the ceasefire in Gaza since it took effect on October 10 about 1244 times.
Here’s more details:
Attacks and Killings
The Office said Israel shot at civilians 402 times, raided residential areas beyond the “yellow line” 66 times, bombed and shelled Gaza 581 times, and demolished people’s properties on 195 occasions.
It added that Israel had also abducted 50 Palestinians from Gaza.
At least 449 Palestinians have been killed and 1,246 others wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the ceasefire began, it added.
Humanitarian Aid
Israel has also continued to block essential humanitarian aid from entering the enclave despite the ceasefire stipulating that “full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip”.
From October 10 to January 15, only 24,611 trucks have entered Gaza out of 57,000, averaging 259 trucks per day. That is only 43 percent of the trucks allocated.
In addition, Israel has blocked essential and nutritious food items, including meat, dairy, and vegetables, crucial for a balanced diet. Instead, non-nutritious foodstuffs are being allowed, such as snacks, chocolate, crisps, and soft drinks.
Shelters
The Office has warned of a rapidly deepening and unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, as Israel continues to close border crossings and block the entry of tents, mobile homes, caravans, and other essential shelter materials, “in clear violation of existing agreements and international humanitarian law.”
The Office pointed to recent storms which have caused the collapse of 50 homes and buildings that had previously been damaged by Israeli bombardment, killing over 25 civilians. People have also died from extreme cold inside tents. At least seven children have died since November from severe colds.
Meanwhile, more than 127,000 tents are no longer usable, leaving over 1.5 million displaced people without even the most basic level of protection.
According to reports, Israel has attacked Gaza on 82 out of the past 97 days of the ceasefire, meaning there were only 15 days during which no attacks, killings or injuries were reported.
Despite Israel’s ongoing attacks, the US insists that the “ceasefire” is still holding and Israel hasn’t violated it.
Has Hamas Released All of the Captives?
Witkoff confirmed on Wednesday that the Palestinian factions in Gaza had returned all living captives and the remains of twenty-seven of the twenty-eight deceased captives.
On October 13, as per the ceasefire deal, Hamas released all 20 remaining living Israeli captives in exchange for 250 Palestinians serving long prison sentences and 1,700 Palestinians abducted by Israel since October 7, 2023.
As part of the deal, Hamas is also expected to return the bodies of 28 Israeli captives in exchange for 360 Palestinian bodies held by Israel.
As of December 3, Hamas had returned 27 Israeli captives’ bodies, with only one remaining in Gaza. The group has said it requires heavy excavation equipment to recover the remaining captive’s body buried under the rubble from Israeli bombardment after two years of genocide as more than 80 percent of structures in Gaza were destroyed.
Israel has so far returned more than 300 Palestinian bodies, many of which showed signs of severe torture. Many are still unidentified.
What Hamas Says and What About the “Yellow Line”
Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they agreed “to support the mediators’ efforts in forming the Palestinian National Transitional Committee to administer the Gaza Strip as part of phase two while providing the appropriate environment” for it to begin its work.
An adviser to the head of Hamas’s political bureau told Al Jazeera on Thursday that discussions in Cairo are focusing on reopening the Rafah crossings, ensuring the entry of aid currently stockpiled on the Egyptian side of the border and securing an Israeli withdrawal.
Taher al-Nunu said Hamas “must work with mediators and the international community to achieve calm and a return to normalcy in Gaza” and praised the “great efforts” being made to implement what was agreed upon.
Al-Nunu also accused Israel of attempting to derail the ceasefire and said Hamas was “working with mediators to open the crossings, allow aid in and secure the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip”.
However, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, known as Kan, reported that Israeli officials consider the so-called yellow line as a strategic area that will remain under Israeli control.
On October 10, the Israeli forces completed the first phase of withdrawal under the ceasefire deal to the “yellow line,” a non-physical demarcation line separating the Israeli occupation forces from certain areas of Gaza, while occupying roughly 53 percent of the Strip.
Israeli forces have been reportedly expanding the so-called “yellow line” in eastern Gaza, particularly in eastern Gaza City’s Tuffah, Shujayea, and Zeitoun neighbourhoods, squeezing Palestinians into ever smaller clusters of the enclave.
There was no mention from Witkoff in the initial statement about Israeli withdrawal or allowing critical humanitarian aid and critical supplies into Gaza. — QNN
