Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to push back hard against any attempt by the Trump administration to move on to phase two of the cease-fire plan for the Gaza Strip when the two leaders sit down at Mar-a-Lago later Monday.
Reports from multiple Israeli media outlets indicate that Netanyahu is expected to ask President Trump and his point men in the Middle East — special envoy Steve Witkoff and first son-in-law Jared Kushner — to provide firm assurances that Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza demilitarized before any further steps are taken.
Another sticking point is the failure by Hamas to return the body of Israeli counter-terror police Master Sgt. Ran “Rani’’ Gvili, who was murdered by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack against the Jewish state and is believed to be the last victim of that atrocity whose remains are still in the Palestinian enclave.
Gvili’s mother and brother have joined Netanyahu’s retinue in Florida, according to Ynet, which reported that Israeli officials are hopeful that Trump will meet the pair at some point.
The second phase of the cease-fire calls for the creation of a so-called International Stabilization Force (ISF) that would take over policing the Strip, and Netanyahu is expected to question Trump closely on details of how it will operate.
Earlier this month, officials from the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey met in Miami to discuss plans for the force — though Israel has said that it would not accept Turkey taking part due to its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cultivating close ties to Hamas throughout his tenure.
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