Despite Trump’s assurances that the war is over, “complex issues” still exist between Israel and Hamas

The Sky News Arabia website wrote: Israel and Hamas began implementing the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, on Monday, through the exchange of prisoners and hostages, in a step that renewed hopes that the agreement sponsored by the United States could pave the way for an end to the devastating two-year war in the Strip.

But more complex issues are still pending, including the fate of Hamas’ weapons, the identity of the party that will assume governance of Gaza, and the future of the Palestinian state.

Challenges of the next stageThe most prominent outstanding issues remain Israel’s demand to disarm Hamas, which the movement rejects as long as Israeli forces remain inside the Palestinian territories.

The issue of Gaza’s administration also remains ambiguous. According to the American plan, an international body will be formed to manage the Strip through a Palestinian technocratic government, with the deployment of an Arab-international security force accompanied by Palestinian police. Israeli forces will gradually withdraw as they deploy.

The plan also includes the possibility of a future role for the Palestinian Authority after extensive reforms, while the agreement indicates the possibility of discussing the establishment of a Palestinian state later, which the Israeli Prime Minister strongly rejects.

Despite the optimistic atmosphere that accompanied the start of implementation of the agreement, observers realize that the road to lasting peace is still long, and that the success of the first phase does not necessarily mean the end of the war that has redrawn the balance of power in the Middle East.

Trump celebrates the agreement and calls for “lasting peace”US President Donald Trump arrived in the region to celebrate the agreement, and delivered a speech in the Israeli Knesset in which he called on representatives to “seize the opportunity for peace.”

He said: “With our help, Israel has achieved everything that can be achieved by military force, and now is the time to turn these victories into a prize of peace and prosperity for all of the Middle East.”

In Cairo, Trump participated alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the leaders of more than 20 countries in a summit that addressed the future of Gaza and the region after the war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who missed the Cairo summit, told parliament that the agreement “ends the war by achieving all its goals.”

He added that Israel would not stop its operations before liberating all the hostages and defeating Hamas once and for all, rejecting accusations that it had prolonged the war for political reasons.

Celebrations of the return of prisoners and hostages

In Israel, the process of releasing the last 20 hostages alive brought back a feeling of relief and joy among the families of the detainees, and many considered it a symbolic end to a long war that they believe Hamas imposed on them. However, others pledged to maintain pressure to recover the bodies of hostages still in Gaza.

As for Gaza, joy filled the streets with the return of Palestinian prisoners, but feelings of joy were mixed with sadness in light of the massive devastation caused by the war, as most of the Strip and its economy were destroyed, and basic services deteriorated, while it remains unclear who will finance the reconstruction, which may take years.

In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, huge crowds welcomed the released prisoners, who raised signs of victory amid cheers and songs.

Freed prisoner Mahmoud Fayez, who was released after being detained last year, said: “Praise be to God, who has blessed us with freedom and joy after this long injustice.”

The list of those released included about 1,900 prisoners, including 250 who were sentenced to life imprisonment, and 1,700 others who were arrested during the war without trial.

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