So far, no country has formally announced that it will join the ISF. Even states that were expected early on to take part have yet to do so. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, whose country was considered a leading candidate to join the force, said earlier this week that "the questions we raised have not been fully answered. Therefore, there is no final decision regarding the participation of Azerbaijani military personnel."

With this vacuum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is attempting to push his country's forces into taking part of the ISF. As Israel Hayom previously reported, Netanyahu vetoed Turkish military involvement at the outset of the process, citing Erdogan's close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, his sympathy for Hamas, and his persistent antisemitism.

The US accepted Israel's position. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said publicly that the administration would not force Israel to accept the participation of countries it does not want involved.

Still, with more than two months having passed since the end of the war and the force still not established, Turkey is renewing its efforts. Recent reports claim Erdogan's forces are already prepared for deployment. At the same time, new messages have been conveyed to Jerusalem urging Israeli officials to reconsider Turkey's inclusion in the ISF. Netanyahu, however, continues to reject these proposals.

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Trump said the council would be composed of leaders of the world's most influential countries. He added that "everyone wants to be part of the council".

When White House reporters asked, regarding the Gaza plan, when an announcement could be expected on the council's leadership structure, he replied that the move would take place early next year. According to Trump, the Gaza Peace Council will be "one of the most legendary councils ever."

"We did not think of it at first", Trump said, "but it will be led by the most important countries. It was not planned this way. We thought we would receive very important people who do this sort of thing for a living, but the candidates now include kings, presidents and prime ministers. They all want to be on the Peace Council."

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Trump intends to declare Phase 2 of the 20-point framework within days, despite Hamas withholding deceased hostage, Israeli hero Sgt. 1st Class Ran Gvili, who perished defending Kibbutz Alumim during the October 7 massacre. The original framework required the terrorist organization to repatriate all captives within 72 hours before advancing to Phase 2.

Israeli officials harbor hopes Trump will postpone the declaration until Gvili's recovery, yet even a formal Phase 2 announcement remains operationally ambiguous. The crux: Not a single nation has volunteered troops to combat Hamas. Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stated Monday that his government lacks answers to fundamental questions about the prospective force's mandate, "rendering any decision on Azerbaijani military participation premature."

A day earlier, Netanyahu assessed the nascent international force likely cannot execute its primary objective: stripping Hamas of weaponry. Given this reality, diplomatic officials anticipate Hamas disarmament will dominate the Trump-Netanyahu dialogue.

Trump and his inner circle have repeatedly pledged to prevent Hamas governance in Gaza and ensure the Strip's demilitarization. The international coordination hub in Gaza (the Kiryat Gat Civil-Military Coordination Center) has already partitioned the territory into numerous compact sectors for sequential neutralization. Implementation methodology remains nebulous, with expectations Netanyahu will advocate for IDF authorization should alternative actors fail to materialize.

Beyond Gaza, Trump and Netanyahu will architect responses to additional diplomatic and security imperatives. Paramount among these: Iran's weapons program resurgence, Hezbollah's persistent armament, and potential Syrian security arrangements.

Next phase uncertainty

Regarding the final captive soldier's repatriation, Gvili, developments remain static. A Zeitoun neighborhood sweep yielded nothing. Israel Hayom confirmed the Gvili family confronted US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz Monday, insisting Washington forestall Phase 2 advancement pending their son's recovery.

Coordinator of Hostages and Missing Persons Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch briefed Waltz on operational status and retrieval initiatives. The ambassador articulated American resolve and personal dedication to mission completion and the soldier's dignified burial in Israel, yet declined to guarantee Phase 2 postponement.

American officials advocate Phase 2 commencement regardless of Gvili's discovery and return, proposing announcement once Hamas demonstrably lacks precise location intelligence and exhausts search capabilities.

Waltz earlier conferred with Netanyahu, continuing his Israel itinerary today with stops including the Kiryat Gat international headquarters.

Danny Zaken contributed to this report.

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Arab and Western diplomatic sources indicate these conditions encompass shuttering all UN refugee agencies, chiefly UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees), across Palestinian Authority territories with particular emphasis on Gaza, while transferring complete responsibility for civilian needs to the Palestinian Authority itself. Israel further insists on transforming "refugee camps" into standard neighborhoods or towns, and abolishing refugee designation throughout Palestinian Authority areas.

Reports from i24NEWS revealed that Israel has positioned the termination of UN refugee agency operations as a prerequisite for IDF withdrawal from Jenin and Tulkarem camps, where forces have maintained presence for months. Diplomatic sources confirm this demand surfaced in Israeli-American discussions and conversations with European intermediaries including Tony Blair and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during Monday's meeting.

Israel has simultaneously advanced its established requirements: complete Hamas disarmament, comprehensive Israeli security authority with unrestricted military operations even in Palestinian Authority-controlled zones, total demilitarization of Palestinian territories excepting lightly-armed police forces, meaningful curriculum overhauls in Palestinian Authority educational institutions from kindergarten through university eliminating antisemitic and anti-Israel materials, population-wide de-radicalization initiatives, genuine Palestinian Authority security operations against terror organizations, and additional measures. Israel views these as essential preconditions for accepting a process culminating in Palestinian statehood, as mandated by the Trump plan (the framework for Gaza's future governance and normalization) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed.

During Monday's press conference following his session with Chancellor Merz, Netanyahu declared, "We believe pathways exist for advancing broader Arab peace and establishing workable peace with our Palestinian neighbors, but we refuse to create a state dedicated to our annihilation directly next to us. The sole principle we'll invariably maintain is Israeli sovereign security authority. We sidestepped the Palestinian Authority because it lacks peace commitment. Everyone claims they'll transform – I'm skeptical. They must cease indoctrinating their children in murdering Israelis and compensating terrorists."

Negotiations toward Phase 2

Diplomatic contacts have persisted toward an American announcement on commencing Phase 2 negotiations of the Trump plan (the framework for Gaza's future governance and normalization). The principal obstacle remains the unreturned body of the final fallen captive, Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, a Yasam (Israel Police Special Patrol Unit) combatant killed battling Hamas terrorists on October 7 after neutralizing dozens.

Shin Bet Director David Zini traveled to Cairo last week, conferring with Egyptian counterparts on intelligence approximately pinpointing Gvili's location. Subsequently, Monday witnessed renewed searches in Gaza's Zeitoun neighborhood, conducted with Red Cross and Hamas representatives present.

Washington has pushed to announce Phase 2's commencement regardless of Gvili's recovery. Gvili's family petitioned Prime Minister Netanyahu against any advancement until Gvili's return. Family members report Netanyahu consented.

The Trump plan's Phase 2 encompasses Hamas's weapons dismantlement and governance transfer to an international civilian entity, paired with further Israeli withdrawal per security protocols. Hamas leadership has consistently proclaimed the organization won't relinquish arms, with internal disagreement on this matter, though even moderates reject complete weapons surrender.

Arab sources maintain that characterizing the situation as absent any transfer preparation progress misrepresents reality, asserting the incoming weeks will unveil the new governing apparatus designated for Strip authority, comprising an internationally-participated governing council alongside a bureaucratic administrative structure predominantly consisting of Palestinian Gaza residents, including former Palestinian Authority functionaries preceding Hamas's takeover.

Qatar seeks guarantees

Monday witnessed a noteworthy Washington meeting assembling Mossad Director David Barnea, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and a high-ranking Qatari delegate. This inaugural session in the reconciliation process represented the Netanyahu-Trump agreement's implementation. The initiative commenced with Netanyahu's White House call to Qatar's Prime Minister al-Thani during Netanyahu's late September Trump meeting.

The session established that within this US-mediated framework, monthly consultations will address contentious matters. Current agenda items encompass Qatar's Hamas member hosting, Qatari "mediation" that Israel contends yielded disappointing outcomes, and Qatar's insistence on Israeli pledges against territorial attacks.

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Meanwhile, Washington is pressing to declare the start of phase B of Trump's Gaza plan, with Gvili's return the only factor holding it up. Hamas claims it is not certain where he is and that there is no justification to delay the next phase.

In response, US officials want to clarify whether the terrorist organization is currently making, and has previously made, every possible effort to locate the final hostage. If it is determined that this is indeed the case, they argue there is no reason not to proceed with the next phase of the plan.

Trump wants to move ahead

A source familiar with the details said the US administration is applying heavy pressure on the matter, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to insist that Hamas fulfill its obligation to return all the hostages as required under phase A of the gaza plan.

Under President Donald Trump's 20-point plan, phase A includes the return of all hostages, living and dead, within 72 hours, a deadline Hamas failed to meet. The plan also states that Hamas members who commit to peaceful coexistence and to disarmament will be rehabilitated and granted amnesty. So far, no Hamas member is known to have accepted these terms.

Despite the fact that these conditions have yet to be implemented, Trump aims to accelerate the timetable and begin reconstruction work in the Gaza Strip as early as March 2026.

Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, 24, a Yasam police officer from Meitar, is the last hostage still held in the Gaza Strip.

Gvili served in the Yasam Negev unit and fought with extraordinary bravery in the battle at Alumim on October 7. On the black Saturday, he left his home in Meitar for the Gaza border communities despite suffering from a shoulder fracture. There he rescued more than 100 people from the Nova music festival and killed 14 terrorists before being abducted.

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According to the source, the administration is applying heavy pressure on the matter, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to insist that Hamas must fulfill its obligation to return all the hostages as required in Phase A of the agreement. Netanyahu's office did not respond to Israel Hayom's request for comment.

Under Trump's 20-point plan, Phase A of the deal to end the war requires the return of all hostages, both living and dead, within 72 hours, a timetable that Hamas has entirely failed to meet. Point 6 states that after the return of all hostages, any Hamas members who pledge to live in peaceful coexistence and demilitarize will be rehabilitated and granted amnesty. Hamas members who wish to leave Gaza will receive safe passage to any country willing to accept them. To date, there is no indication that any Hamas member has agreed to peaceful coexistence with Israel, to disarm or to relocate.

Although these provisions have not been implemented, Trump is seeking to move forward with the timeline, with the administration aiming to begin reconstruction work in Gaza as early as March 2026.

The Gvili family, the parents of the hostage, said in a statement: "Phase A of the hostage deal is not complete as long as Ran has not returned home. We demand that Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump pressure Hamas and Islamic Jihad to bring Ran home immediately. It is impossible to move to the second phase of the deal without Rani here."

The last hostage in Gaza

Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, 24, a Yasam police officer from Meitar, is the last hostage still held in the Gaza Strip. This follows the return of hostage Sutthisak Rinthalak to Israel last week.

Gvili served in the Yasam Negev unit and fought with extraordinary bravery in the battle at Alumim on October 7. On the black Saturday, he left his home in Meitar for the Gaza border communities despite suffering from a shoulder fracture. There he rescued more than 100 people from the Nova music festival and killed 14 terrorists before being abducted.

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The departure of residents through the Rafah crossing will be possible via coordination with Egypt, pending approval by Israeli security officials and under the supervision of the European Union delegation, similar to a mechanism that was used in January 2025.

The political echelon's instruction comes even though not all the hostages have been recovered from the Gaza Strip under the Trump deal. Sergeant First Class Ran Gvili and Sudthisak Rinthalak are the last two deceased hostages remaining in captivity. Concurrently, the Red Cross is conducting search and excavation operations in the Jabalia area for deceased hostages.

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When that happnes, the agreement brokered by the US stipulates that the sides are supposed to move into Phase Two. Under that phase, Israel is expected to gradually withdraw from the Gaza Strip in several stages while maintaining a perimeter presence. Reconstruction of Gaza would begin and, in parallel and in line with Israel's demand, a process to demilitarize the Strip would start, with an international force deployed in its place.

But despite Washington's good intentions, and despite Donald Trump's extensive plans for postwar Gaza, at this stage not a single country has agreed to send troops to the Strip as part of the multinational force the US hopes to establish. That force is supposed, in the American view, to dismantle Hamas and create an alternative to its rule.

The major concern in Israel is that the Americans are so determined to advance their plan that, despite the obstacles, they will try to push forward with the parts they can implement, namely reconstruction of the Strip and pressure on the IDF to withdraw. For now, the position within Israel's defense establishment is withdrawal only in exchange for demilitarization. It remains unclear whether the Americans will ultimately accept that demand. This raises the question of what Israel will do and whether it will stand firm or once again bow to American pressure.

In the meantime, US officials are supposed to oversee the process through the American command center operating in Kiryat Gat, known as the CMCC. Yet anyone reading the announcement released by US Central Command marking one month since the center began operating in its current form would have noticed that nearly all the achievements listed focused on humanitarian activity, not on advancing any of the additional processes the center is supposed to promote.

According to the American plan, Gaza is now divided into two zones. The red zone is where the Hamas terrorist organization remains entrenched, described as old Gaza, west of the so-called yellow line. The green zone is the area of new Gaza under IDF control, located east of that line. Washington is trying to begin reconstruction efforts in the green zone, starting with Rafah.

Senior Israeli defense officials say that for now, Israel's interest is to allow the Americans to pursue the processes they want to advance in order to return the hostages. A senior security source said: "We are as free as we need to be right now. We currently control the territory, thwart attacks, eliminate threats and gradually force the terrorists to surrender. The Americans are leading a broad international process. You could argue they are naive, but we will help them anyway. This gives us legitimacy and time to rebuild the army and restore its readiness, which is essential for both conscript and reserve forces."

Another senior security official said the only party capable of dismantling Hamas is Israel. "No one is going to do it for us, just as no one is going to dismantle Hezbollah's weapons arsenal on our behalf. But we allow the Americans to try, and we assist them as much as possible. If, as is likely, they fail to achieve this, at some point we will have no choice but to do it ourselves."

For now, Israel's patience is paying off at least in the Rafah sector. Israeli security officials say that after an IDF Hermes drone struck a tunnel shaft in the Jenina neighborhood of Rafah two days ago, four bodies were located and taken for examination in Israel. Initial assessments suggest they were the battalion commander, the deputy commander and the company commander of the terrorists in the tunnels.

In recent weeks Israel has recovered around 40 bodies of terrorists from tunnel shafts, and several others have been taken for questioning. From the outset, Israeli officials assessed that several dozen terrorists were in the Rafah tunnel system, somewhere between 80 and 120. The current assessment is that only a few dozen remain.

The captured terrorists were found severely malnourished, and described a deep sense of abandonment by Hamas leadership. Sources told Israel Hayom one reason they reached this state is that the logistical aid corridor that once passed near their tunnels was moved, leaving them unable to steal humanitarian supplies.

The assessment is that it will not be long until the remaining terrorists underground in Rafah meet their end, either from starvation or after attempting to surface in search of food, at which point they will be captured or killed. In the meantime, the IDF is operating patiently in the area with the goal of exhausting the terrorists without placing Israeli forces at unnecessary risk.

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Even so, the tangible outcome of the meeting was far from what both leaders had sought. Israel Hayom reported at the time that Washington was furious with the Saudi leadership for refusing to move forward on a process toward normalization with Israel.

According to diplomatic sources, after early rounds of talks between senior Saudis and Americans yielded no progress, Trump pressed the crown prince during their White House meeting to take at least one symbolic step toward normalization, any gesture that would signal expected movement in the near future once conditions matured.

Bin Salman spoke of his internal difficulties and of public opinion in Saudi Arabia. At that point Trump intervened and told him to take an example from his counterpart, United Arab Emirates leader Mohammed bin Zayed, who benefited from joining the Abraham Accords. Bin Salman did not change his position, so although Trump announced a future sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, he made it subject to two conditions.

The first was American. Saudi investments that had been announced, needed to begin materializing. In Trump's previous term, hundreds of billions of dollars in Saudi investments were announced, but only a small portion ever materialized.

The second was the start of a practical move toward normalization with Israel and entry into the Abraham Accords. The issue of a Saudi nuclear reactor was handled in a similar but even more stringent manner. Washington essentially rejected the Saudi request to enrich uranium on Saudi soil. Israel had conveyed its objection to enrichment to Washington, and Trump agreed to assist the Saudis in establishing a nuclear energy facility built by American companies. The UAE, incidentally, also has such a reactor.

A political source said the Americans made clear that in their view the ceasefire in Gaza should have served as a springboard for expanding the Abraham Accords, and that Saudi opposition was handing Hamas, the terrorist organization blocking progress toward ending the war, the key to Trump's vision of peace.

Peace nowhere in sight

That peace, or at least an end to the war in Gaza, is currently nowhere on the horizon. Egyptian attempts to pressure senior Hamas officials into accepting a framework for surrendering power and weapons face setbacks and obstinacy from at least part of the terrorist organization's leadership. Even softer proposals, such as storing weapons as "deposits" in warehouses under the new civilian authority's control, are making no headway.

One actor currently missing from efforts to pressure Hamas is Turkey. The Turks, who played an important role in the ceasefire deal and in convincing Hamas to release all the hostages, have removed themselves at this stage from direct involvement. According to an Arab diplomatic source, this step followed Israel's veto on including Turkish troops in the planned multinational force expected to enter Gaza.

Turkey has significant leverage over Hamas because the terrorist organization's financial hub is based in Istanbul. Ankara used this leverage in the previous phase but is avoiding doing so now. Moreover, Israel Hayom reported that Israel passed intelligence to the US regarding Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist cells operating out of Turkey with the knowledge of Turkish authorities. Shortly afterward, Israel published details about these cells and the attack attempts that were thwarted.

Hamas, for its part, is demanding that before talks officially resume, Phase A be completed. Chiefly, this means opening the Rafah Crossing for the movement of people and significantly increasing the number of supply trucks and goods entering territory under its control. These supplies are currently Hamas' main source of funding and of leverage over the population under its rule.

An Israeli source said Hamas must first return the final two deceased hostages, and then it must be ensured that most of the incoming supplies do not fall into Hamas' hands, a condition described as nearly impossible. American officials believe the two remaining bodies will be located and handed over in the coming days.

Despite the deadlock on the path to Phase B, intensive efforts continues at the multinational headquarters in Kiryat Gat, the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel. The work is expanding, and representatives from no fewer than 24 countries, in addition to Israel and the US, are now present.

The latest arrival

Israel Hayom has learned that the most recent arrival was Bahrain's representative. Bahrain, one of the Abraham Accords countries, joined the working teams at the headquarters last week. The site consists of three main floors: the Israeli floor, the American floor and, between them, the multinational floor.

The UAE has the largest and most active contingent apart from Israel and the US. Personnel on site are organized into working groups in various fields: a security team that continuously monitors events in the Gaza Strip using information from the IDF, the Americans and the Egyptians; a humanitarian team that coordinates and monitors the entry of supply trucks and tries, with limited success, to prevent Hamas operatives from confiscating them.

There is also a multinational security-force team preparing coordination, communications and mission infrastructure for the future force; a civilian governance team working on the administrative and organizational foundations of the new governing body; a reconstruction and infrastructure team planning both short-term relief work such as clearing debris and long-term rebuilding; and a top-level planning team preparing complex construction plans for Gaza's future, including housing, commercial districts, industrial zones and tourism areas.

Those present at the headquarters report excellent cooperation and a friendly atmosphere. Israeli and Arab teams, for example, converse with each other in Arabic, and strong black Arabic coffee is the drink of choice in meetings and discussions. Yet despite the good atmosphere, most of the work remains on paper for now, because the creation of the multinational force is nowhere in sight and Phase B, as noted, still looks distant.

At the same time, in areas under Israeli control inside the Gaza Strip, extensive rebuilding is underway: the establishment of humanitarian zones, entire neighborhoods where infrastructure is being installed, as well as public buildings and schools. These serve as a kind of pilot program for the eventual reconstruction of the entire Gaza Strip.

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Minister Amichai Eliyahu of Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) announced on Wednesday that he would vote against the legislation to adopt language of the Trump initiative – which led to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire – after it is introduced in the Knesset members for an official up-or-down vote.

Lapid (Yesh Atid) initiated the measure, stating, "I will bring a motion to the Knesset plenum for a vote on a resolution for the Knesset of Israel to accept and adopt the 20-point plan of United States President Donald Trump."

Lapid elaborated, "The entire Israeli people is grateful to President Trump for having led a courageous deal for the release of the Israeli hostages. We support President Trump and strengthen his hand in his efforts to implement the plan's stages. I expect all parties to vote in favor of the President's plan."

Minister Eliyahu told the radio station Galei Tzahal, "We will certainly vote against – if Lapid wants to embarrass the state, that's his business. A Palestinian state will not be established." The plan, however, includes a "path to the establishment of a Palestinian state."

The opposition previously embarrassed the government from the right last month when a bill to apply sovereignty was passed. Vice President JD Vance, who was visiting Israel at the time, criticized the move. Following the support of MK Yuli Edelstein (Likud) for the move, which went against the directive of the Coalition, he was removed from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

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