Tensions have emerged over the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, while Palestinians continue to raise the alarm over the lack of emergency aid entering the Strip.
The US, Israel and Egypt have been in disagreement on the implementation of the second phase of the deal, which came up in meetings between Egyptian General Hassan Rashad and Israeli officials.
According to Israel’s Broadcasting Authority, Rashad met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Shin Bet director David Zinni and other security officials on Tuesday.
One of the main areas of disagreement has been the entry of an Arab and international military force into Gaza as soon as possible, while Trump insists on Hamas returning the bodies of all of the captives in Gaza first.
Hamas has repeatedly stressed that returning all the bodies has proven practically impossible due to the lack of heavy equipment in the Strip and the magnitude of destruction in the enclave, which means that the bodies of thousands of people - Israeli captives but also overwhelmingly Palestinian victims - are still trapped under the rubble.
The Palestinian group has already returned 20 living captives to Israel and the bodies of 16 others, leaving 12 left in the Strip. Israel maintains that the actual figure of bodies left in Gaza is 13, after claiming that one body returned does not match their records.
Egypt has pressed for foreign forces to enter Gaza in the coming days, in an effort to pave the way for the second phase of the deal, however Israel has opposed the idea.
Israeli officials told Egyptian intelligence that Hamas was deliberately stalling, and in order for Trump’s ceasefire deal to move forward, the bodies must first be returned.
According to The New Arab’s Arabic language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the list of countries interested in sending troops to Gaza as part of the international-Arab force to maintain the truce is starting to come together. The countries so far include Egypt, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey and Indonesia.
Israel has reportedly already expressed opposition to the proposed presence of Turkey in Gaza. The United Arab Emirates and Morocco have not yet decided on their positions.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance said that the ceasefire so far was "exceeding" expectations. He has also pushed Israel to proceed with the phases of the truce with no delays.
However, Hebrew-language media reported that Israel’s security establishment is concerned at the speed in which the US is pushing Trump’s plan to fully end the war, claiming that it could harm Tel Aviv’s "security interests".
According to the reports, Israel’s main worry is that key decisions, such as how aid enters Gaza and other matters regarding the Israeli army, will now be decided by others rather than Israel.
The Israeli security establishment’s concern is that the US can impose restrictions on Tel Aviv in certain areas, which could limit the army’s ability to use force and attack Hamas.
Vance, along with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met in Israel on Wednesday, where it was decided that US soldiers will now monitor what is happening in Gaza and oversee the implementation of the truce.
The latest developments come as Palestinians decry the tiny amounts of aid trickling into Gaza, stating that this violates the terms of the ceasefire agreement, while exposing people in the territory to more malnutrition and starvation.
Gaza’s government media office stated that since the start of the truce, only 986 trucks have entered Gaza, falling short of the 6,600 trucks that should have entered by Monday.
Israel has refused to open the Rafah crossing, despite aid groups asserting that this is the quickest and most efficient way to let emergency assistance in.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 68,000 Palestinians since October 2023 and plunged the Strip into a deep humanitarian crisis. The war has been widely acknowledged as a genocide.