U.S. says second part of Gaza ceasefire has begun, however main challenges stay : NPR

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

President Trump’s particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, says the second part of the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is starting. He stated Wednesday that Part 2 will set up a brand new Palestinian administration in Gaza and start the total demilitarization and rebuilding of the territory. We’re joined now by NPR’s Aya Batrawy in Dubai to debate what comes subsequent. All proper, so second part. What does that really imply?

AYA BATRAWY, BYLINE: OK. Yeah. Nicely, it was actually vital for the White Home to make this announcement now as a result of the ceasefire is fragile. You understand, within the first three months since Trump pushed this by way of, there have been greater than 450 Palestinians killed, in accordance with Gaza’s Well being Ministry. Some have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, however many are being shot nearly each day by Israeli troops who nonetheless occupy greater than half of the Gaza Strip. So whereas the ceasefire was caught in its preliminary part with no progress, we noticed Hamas reasserting itself in that sliver of territory they nonetheless maintain and Israeli troops fortifying their maintain of the territory that they maintain in Gaza. And all of that is occurring whereas folks in Gaza are struggling with out reconstruction or progress by way of one other harsh winter. And that’s the reason this subsequent part to the ceasefire is so vital to its success, and the demilitarization of Gaza is on the coronary heart of that second part. However, you realize, none of that is going to vary in a single day.

MARTÍNEZ: Bought it. Now, what you talked about – demilitarization – what does the plan say about that?

BATRAWY: All proper. Nicely, the wording of Trump’s peace plan is obscure on that. And so negotiations are key, however negotiations for that haven’t begun but. However we did hear from senior White Home officers yesterday, who stated there is a basic idea of what they name terror infrastructure in Gaza being destroyed. They usually say heavy weaponry, like rockets, could be put into a spot the place they are not getting used to defend towards Israel or to assault Israel.

Now, the Israeli authorities desires all weapons out of the fingers of any Palestinian militant teams and no tunnels to stay intact. Now, Hamas says it’s open to negotiating weapons being saved till a brand new Palestinian authorities is in energy, however they need Israel’s troops withdrawing in tandem, in coordination with them laying down their arms. However the White Home and Israel say that withdrawal of Israeli troops to the buffer zones of Gaza are solely going to occur after demilitarization. So nonetheless a variety of advanced shifting components and really unsure what’ll occur subsequent.

MARTÍNEZ: And who precisely could be truly overseeing disarmament and governing Gaza on this coming part?

BATRAWY: OK. So the disarmament half, A, is probably going going to be Egypt. They seem to be a mediator between Israel and Hamas. They border the Gaza Strip in Israel, and, you realize, they’d need to be a part of a broader worldwide power deployed to Gaza to do that with militant teams agreeing to storing their weapons, not by power. However you want this Worldwide Stabilization Drive to be assembled and deployed to Gaza, and that has not occurred but.

Now, on this new Palestinian committee being fashioned, that’s what will govern Gaza. It doesn’t embrace Hamas. These are Palestinian factions which can be assembly proper now in Cairo, together with Hamas, to finalize the names of those technocrats. It is going to be about 12 to fifteen folks in command of working Gaza’s civilian affairs. Assume training, well being, policing, issues like that. And this committee goes to be led by a person named Ali Shaath. He is a former deputy minister within the Palestinian Authority within the West Financial institution. Now, overseeing that committee goes to be President Trump, who will oversee one thing referred to as the Board of Peace. Leaders from around the globe have been requested to hitch this board, and they’re anticipated to carry their first assembly subsequent week on the World Financial Discussion board in Davos.

However look, there’s nonetheless one hostage physique left that was taken in that Hamas assault – October 7, 2023 – that hasn’t been present in Gaza. And Israel’s been very unwilling to open Gaza’s border with Egypt for extra support to enter by way of there or for folks to go away and return till that physique is handed again. However the true menace looming over this complete ceasefire are the protests occurring in Iran and the potential of U.S. and Israeli assaults there, which might begin one other warfare and take consideration away from these subsequent essential steps.

MARTÍNEZ: That is NPR’s Aya Batrawy. Thanks loads.

BATRAWY: Thanks.

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