Trump says talks on the second stage of the Gaza ceasefire plan to begin 'very soon'

The second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement "will begin very soon", US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, as Israeli strikes continued to kill Palestinian civilians across the territory.

A "truce" came into effect on 10 October, around two years after Israel began its relentless and indiscriminate assault in the Gaza Strip. But despite the agreement, Israeli violations have killed more than 360 Palestinians.

"We now have peace in the Middle East that is supported by 59 countries. It is extremely important [to have] international support," Trump said from the White House.

Qatar, one of the mediators, also said earlier this week that it hopes Hamas and Israel will begin talks on stage two of the plan "very, very soon".

The first phase of his 20-point plan has seen Israel release thousands of Palestinian detainees in exchange for the captives that were being held in Gaza.

Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movements have freed 20 captives who were still alive and 47 deceased. Only one more body of an Israeli captive remains in Gaza.

On Thursday, the Israeli military confirmed that the remains of a Thai national had been identified after they were handed over from Gaza.

The deal also stipulates the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, something Israel has also obstructed. Aid groups complain that Israeli authorities are not allowing enough humanitarian relief to enter the war-battered territory, leaving millions vulnerable.

The second phase of Trump's "peace plan" calls for the establishment of a transitional authority in Gaza that does not include Hamas, and a local security force that would be trained by Arab and Muslim countries.

It would require all Palestinian militant groups to disarm in the enclave, something Hamas has refused as long as Israel continues to militarily occupy the territory.

Hamas separately accused Israel of committing a "blatant war crime" following a strike on Wednesday that targeted displaced persons' tents in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The strike killed five people and injured many more, including children.

Wednesday’s attack reflects "a disregard for the cease-fire agreement and an attempt to evade its obligations," Hamas said in a statement, holding Israel fully responsible for the consequences of this escalation.

The group called on mediators and guarantor states to take immediate action to halt attacks and prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government from "evading the requirements of the agreement," foremost among them halting strikes on civilians, residential areas, and displaced persons’ tents.

Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, are wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel's offensive has killed more than 70,000 people since October 2023, most of them women and children, Gaza's health ministry says.