https://arab.news/zm8y6
After the first steps of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel were announced last month, the second phase emerged as a more complicated turning point. It offers real opportunities but carries significant risks. The 20-point peace plan linked to US President Donald Trump outlines several steps for improving conditions in Gaza, with particular importance placed on this second phase.
If the parties uphold their commitments, this phase could introduce a basic level of security stability in Gaza. It includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from key areas of the Strip, the introduction of international or Arab security arrangements and the removal of Gaza from the cycle of ongoing military operations.
It also opens the path toward long-delayed reconstruction: clearing rubble, restoring essential infrastructure and beginning wider rebuilding according to standards that could make the Strip capable of development, rather than permanent crisis management.
While the first phase centered on prisoner exchanges and humanitarian access, the second phase offers the chance to reconsider governance, reaffirm Palestinian political legitimacy and link security arrangements with broader political and civil processes.
