Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he expects the Gaza ceasefire plan to move into its second phase "very shortly". During a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Netanyahu stated that the first phase, which involved halting fighting and exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners, is complete. He emphasized that the second phase, which involves the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza, could begin as soon as the end of the month.
Netanyahu also revealed that he will meet with US President Donald Trump later this month to discuss "opportunities for peace" in the region. The meeting marks their fourth encounter since Trump's return to the White House for a second term in January.
The second phase of the ceasefire, led by an international body overseeing the agreement and chaired by Trump himself, is expected to be appointed by the end of the year. In the long-term, the plan also calls for a possible "pathway" to Palestinian independence.
However, concerns remain over the role and makeup of an international security force involved in the second phase. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani recently stated that the current ceasefire is merely a "pause" and emphasized the need for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, stability in Gaza, and the ability for Palestinians to move freely.
The Gaza ceasefire has been fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violating it. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists entered Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostage. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Netanyahu's announcement comes as international mediators continue to push for the implementation of the ceasefire plan. The US has been playing a key role in brokering a deal, and Trump's leadership on the issue is seen as crucial.
Netanyahu also revealed that he will meet with US President Donald Trump later this month to discuss "opportunities for peace" in the region. The meeting marks their fourth encounter since Trump's return to the White House for a second term in January.
The second phase of the ceasefire, led by an international body overseeing the agreement and chaired by Trump himself, is expected to be appointed by the end of the year. In the long-term, the plan also calls for a possible "pathway" to Palestinian independence.
However, concerns remain over the role and makeup of an international security force involved in the second phase. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani recently stated that the current ceasefire is merely a "pause" and emphasized the need for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, stability in Gaza, and the ability for Palestinians to move freely.
The Gaza ceasefire has been fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violating it. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists entered Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostage. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Netanyahu's announcement comes as international mediators continue to push for the implementation of the ceasefire plan. The US has been playing a key role in brokering a deal, and Trump's leadership on the issue is seen as crucial.
. I mean, I've lost count of how many times we've heard promises like this before... But for once, it seems like Netanyahu's actually talking about making progress. I just hope Qatar gets a seat at the table when it comes to setting up that international security force – they're one of the countries with the most skin in the game here.
so yeah i think its all good that Netanyahu said something positive about the ceasefire... but we gotta keep an eye out for some major red flags 
like Qatar saying its just a pause lol what does that even mean? also dont get me wrong trump is trying to do somethin but hes got his own agenda here and im not sure how well hell play nice with the international community 
meanwhile idk about the disarmament of Hamas... theyre not exactly known for bein all peaceful 
so hopefully the second phase dosent go down the drain
... like, isn't it already kinda obvious that there won't be any "pathway" to Palestinian independence? I mean, we've seen how this stuff goes down before. And what's with the meeting between Trump and Netanyahu? Just another opportunity for him to insert himself into every single conflict in the world 
... Can't wait to see how this whole thing plays out.
Israel & Palestine have been like a never-ending meme (gif: 
Netanyahu says ceasefire plan is almost done, but Palestinians just want peace, stability, and freedom to move around (gif: 
"The Human Meme")
70k+ Palestinians killed in Israel's response? That's a whole lotta drama (gif: 
"Grumpy Cat")
Trump leads the international body overseeing ceasefire, but who else can we trust? (gif: 
A pathway to Palestinian independence? Sounds like a pipe dream, but we gotta try, right? (gif: 
"Happy Face Emoji")
"Strong Fist")
I mean we all know Qatar is low-key stressing about this... like "pause" or what? 
Anywayz, Netanyahu's got his hopes high, but let's keep it real, this thing is still super messy 
The second phase of the ceasefire is basically gonna be some fancy bureaucratic exercise that lets Israel off the hook for its own aggression 
Still think it's crazy how many lives have been lost already 
And what's up with the timeline? "Very shortly" sounds like a pretty vague promise to me 
... and what's with this international security force thingy? Who gets to decide who's in charge and how they're going to make it all work? 
... can we please just focus on making sure those hostages are safe and that people have access to basic necessities like food, water, and healthcare?! 
. And we're still trying to figure out if this ceasefire plan is actually gonna work. Qatar's PM says it's just a pause, I don't know about you, but I feel like things can get really volatile in the Middle East 
.
. It's crazy to think that this plan might lead to Palestinian independence someday 
.