Yedioth: 3 obstacles hinder the completion of the Gaza agreement

The newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" reported today, Thursday, that there are 3 obstacles preventing the start of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel.

On October 10, the first phase of the agreement came into effect, following a genocide waged by Israel with American support against Gaza for two years since October 2023.

According to the newspaper, these obstacles include Israel's failure to recover the remains of two detainees held in Gaza, the fate of Hamas fighters in Rafah (south), and the formation of an international stabilization force.

1- Recovery of the bodies Yedioth Ahronoth stated that "Washington is pressuring Israel to move towards the second phase of the agreement, but Israel insists on recovering the bodies of the remaining two hostages first."

Hamas claims it has handed over all 48 Israeli detainees, while Israel asserts that the movement still holds the bodies of two detainees.

According to the newspaper, "Israel continues to pressure Hamas to identify the location of the remains and return them, refusing to reopen the Rafah crossing or expand humanitarian aid, or discuss further withdrawals."

It quoted Israeli officials saying that "once the two bodies are recovered, Israel will begin discussions on various aspects of the reconstruction of Gaza."

2- Rafah fighters According to the newspaper, the second obstacle to starting the second phase is the fate of Hamas fighters holed up in tunnels beneath Rafah.

It stated that "Israel has expressed a willingness to allow them safe passage to a third country, but no country has agreed to receive them."

3- The international force The third obstacle, according to the newspaper, is "the difficulties in forming the international stabilization force" scheduled to be deployed in Gaza.

It said, "So far, only a few Arab and Islamic countries have agreed to contribute thousands of soldiers."

It added, "Azerbaijan initially expressed its readiness to send troops, but it seems to have backtracked."

Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an informed Israeli official saying that "there is no progress in assembling the stabilization force."

He added, "In any case, they (the soldiers) will need training and preparation before deployment. This is the main issue that the Americans need to resolve."

On Thursday, Channel 14 reported that the United States has set mid-January for the start of the deployment of the international stabilization force in Gaza.

The United Nations Security Council adopted a U.S. draft resolution on November 18, allowing for the establishment of a temporary international force to be deployed in Gaza until the end of 2027.

The Israeli genocide against Gaza has resulted in more than 69,000 martyrs and 170,000 Palestinian injuries, most of whom are children and women, along with massive destruction, with the cost of reconstruction estimated by the United Nations at around $70 billion.