Published On 14/11/2025
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Last update: 22:31 (Mecca time)
With the near completion of the prisoner exchange phase between Israel and the Palestinian resistance within the framework of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, a state of ambiguity prevails regarding the next phase of the agreement, in light of the intransigence of Israel, whose officials said that discussing the next phase is contingent on the completion of receiving the bodies of their prisoners in the Gaza Strip and the completion of their burial and all related procedures.
Israel confirmed that it received the body of one of its prisoners in the Gaza Strip yesterday, Thursday, leaving three bodies belonging to Israeli prisoners in the Strip that have not yet been handed over.
In light of the current ambiguity regarding the next phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the perceptions of the concerned parties are multiple, as the United States, according to what former US State Department official Thomas Warrick revealed to the “Beyond the News” program, is focusing on its draft resolution in the UN Security Council, which – according to him – has the support of Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and other countries.
It is noteworthy that yesterday, Thursday, Russia proposed a draft resolution at the United Nations regarding the plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip, which it drafted in exchange for the American project, which was opposed by Moscow and Beijing, but the United States mission to the United Nations urged the Security Council to move forward in approving the American text.
The United States is also trying to convince Israel of the necessity of solving the problem of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) fighters stranded in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, as Washington would like them to leave west of the Yellow Line or to another country. The American guest, Warrick, says that Israel has not officially agreed to that.
Washington’s third priority – according to Warrick – is to stop the ongoing violence in the West Bank, which he said would negatively affect the peace process that Washington wants.
As for the Arab countries, their priorities focus, according to the academic and Middle East politics expert Dr. Mahjoub Al-Zwairi, on the issue of forming an international force in the Gaza Strip, considering that this will push Israel to gradually give up the Gaza lands. They also focus on the necessity of introducing aid with great intensity, and the form of administration that will basically manage the Strip.
Israel accounts
On the other hand, Israel’s priorities differ from the priorities of the Arabs, as academic and expert on Israeli affairs, Dr. Muhannad Mustafa, told the “Beyond the News” program that it focuses on the issue of preparing the ground for a long-term Israeli presence in Gaza, specifically east of the Yellow Line, which Israel occupies. He said that it is not confident of the possibility of achieving the provisions of the second phase, and therefore it is rapidly destroying this region.
What also matters to Israel in the next stage is the disarmament of the Palestinian resistance, and it believes that the international force to be formed must work to disarm this weapon. Mustafa explains that Israel wants American legitimacy and approval to have a margin of military action in the Gaza Strip.
According to Mustafa, Israel fears that the international force will enter the areas it controls and not those controlled by Hamas.
The former US State Department official says that the international force to be formed must be formed and deployed in Gaza before the Israeli army withdraws.