Netanyahu Conditions Return of Hostage's Body to Proceed to Second Phase of War-Ending Agreement

Israeli media revealed today, Thursday, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conditioned the return of the last hostage's body from the Gaza Strip to proceed to the second phase of the agreement to end the war.

The Israeli Channel 13 reported that a small ministerial council is convening now, and on its agenda is preparing for Netanyahu's meeting with US President Donald Trump scheduled in Miami, Florida.

This will be Netanyahu's fifth visit since last January, and it may last a week. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu will visit the United States between December 28 and January 4.

In the context of the upcoming visit, Israeli Channel 15 reported that Netanyahu will discuss 4 main files during his meeting with Trump: Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran.

Israeli media quoted sources yesterday that Stephen Witkoff, Trump's envoy, informed Israeli officials before the planned meeting between Trump and Netanyahu of the necessity to move to the second phase at the beginning of next month.

Israel conditions the start of negotiations to begin the second phase of the agreement on receiving the body of Ran Guili, the last hostage held by the resistance, while Hamas confirms that it may take time to extract it due to the massive destruction in Gaza.

The Palestinian factions have handed over 20 live Israeli hostages and the bodies of 27 others since the start of the first phase of the ceasefire on October 10 last year, while Hamas continues to search for the body of Guili.

Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) reached a two-phase agreement to ceasefire in Gaza on October 9 last year, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and under American sponsorship, based on a 20-point plan presented by Trump to end the war.

The next day, the first phase of the agreement came into effect, but Israel violated it hundreds of times and did not fully comply with its terms, especially those related to the humanitarian aspect and the entry of aid, despite Hamas's full commitment, which led to the martyrdom of more than 400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Israel is also delaying the transition to the second phase, claiming the remaining body of one of its soldiers in captivity in Gaza, despite the Palestinian factions continuing their search operations amid the massive destruction caused by the Israeli genocide.

The second phase of Trump's plan for ceasefire in Gaza includes "forming a temporary technocrat committee to administer the sector, the reconstruction file, forming a peace council, creating an international force, additional withdrawal of the Israeli army from the sector, in addition to disarming Hamas".