Hamas and Israel edge towards second phase of US-backed Gaza deal

As Israel and Hamas prepare to move towards the second stage of a United States-led blueprint intended to bring an end to Israel’s war on Gaza, disputes are emerging over the proposed role of an international stabilisation force in the enclave.

Al Jazeera reported that senior Hamas figure Basem Naim said on Sunday that the American draft “requires a lot of clarifications”. He indicated that the group was ready to discuss “freezing or storing” weapons while the current truce holds, but ruled out allowing any foreign force to handle disarmament.

He said Hamas would accept a United Nations presence along the borders to oversee a ceasefire and monitor violations, but added that it would reject any force with authority “inside Palestinian territory”.

His remarks were issued hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he would meet US President Donald Trump at the end of the month to begin discussions on the next phase of the plan.

Netanyahu said the focus would be on ending Hamas’s rule in Gaza and ensuring that the organisation abided by commitments set out in the American proposal, which aims to demilitarise the territory.

“We have a second phase, no less daunting, and that is to achieve the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarisation of Gaza,” Netanyahu said during a press conference with German chancellor Friedrich Merz.

It is unclear whether the idea of storing weapons, rather than surrendering them, would meet Israel’s demand for full disarmament. Naim insisted that Hamas retained a “right to resist”, and said that a handover of arms could only take place within a broader process leading to Palestinian statehood. He suggested that a long-term truce, possibly lasting five to 10 years, was conceivable.

The American plan leaves room for eventual Palestinian independence, although Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the creation of a Palestinian state, arguing it would reward Hamas.

The proposal, described as a 20-point framework, sketches out the creation of a stabilisation force and the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian administration overseen by an international “board of peace”. It does not, however, offer a timeline or operational blueprint. Washington has said it expects troops to arrive early next year and has signalled interest from countries including Indonesia, yet the structure, command and responsibilities of the force remain undefined.

Netanyahu acknowledged the uncertainty. “What will be the timeline? What are the forces coming in? Will we have international forces? If not, what are the alternatives? These are all topics being discussed,” he said.

The transition to the next phase is meant to begin once Hamas returns the body of the final captive, an Israeli policeman killed on 7 October. Netanyahu described phase two as “more difficult”.

Even the first stage has proved fraught. Despite the truce, strikes have continued across Gaza, with more than 370 Palestinians killed, according to local health officials. Israel has accused Hamas of slowing the return of captives.

Initial steps under the plan saw Israeli troops pull back to positions behind a so-called “yellow line”, though Israel still maintains control over more than half of the territory. On Sunday, Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir described the demarcation as “a new border”.

“We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip, and we will remain on those defence lines,” he said. “The yellow line is a new border line.”

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani cautioned at the Doha Forum that the truce was at a “critical moment” and could collapse without rapid progress towards a lasting deal. He said any genuine ceasefire required a complete Israeli withdrawal and restored freedom of movement for Palestinians, conditions he said had not been met.

Meanwhile, officials from Israel and Qatar held talks with US representatives over the weekend to repair strained ties following Israel’s air strike on Doha in September, according to Axios.