December 22, 2025 | 12:44 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israel and Hamas are likely to announce the transition to the second phase of the Gaza peace plan as early as January 2026. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty shared this update on Sunday.
"We hope that the transition to the second phase of the Gaza deal will be announced in January. This is expected to include a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave, the confiscation of weapons [from radicals], the formation of a peace council, and the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent in the Strip," Abdelatty said at a press conference in Cairo, as quoted by Apa.
Abdelatty stated that this phase should include the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory. It also covers the seizure of Hamas weapons, the formation of a peace council, and the placement of peacekeepers in the Gaza Strip. The minister noted that mediators, including Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, are looking to US President Donald Trump to "force Israel to stop violating the ceasefire" in Gaza.
Separately, Hamas warned that continuous violations by Israel threaten the talks for the second phase. They claim these actions worsen humanitarian conditions. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the situation is declining due to "the continued collapse of buildings that were bombed during the war of genocide on the Gaza Strip."
He added that conditions are getting worse "amid the tightening Israeli siege, the prevention of reconstruction operations, and the denial of entry of adequate shelter materials."
Qassem stated that the daily killing of Palestinians "constitutes a continuation of the occupation's breaches of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and exacerbates the humanitarian situation."
He argued that these actions happen while parties are working to move toward the second phase of the deal. "These Israeli violations come at a time when various parties are talking about stabilizing the ceasefire and progressing towards the second phase of the agreement to stop the war on Gaza," Qassem said.
He urged mediators to "take serious action to curb these violations and pressure the occupation to begin a genuine reconstruction process for Gaza."
Hamas Meets with Turkish Intelligence Chief
The head of the Turkish intelligence agency (MIT) met with Hamas' chief negotiator, Khalil Al-Hayya, on Saturday. They discussed the steps needed to start the second phase of the peace plan. Sources told Al Arabiya that MIT head Ibrahim Kalin met the delegation in Istanbul. They focused on ways to stop Israeli ceasefire violations and resolve existing issues to move the plan forward.
Under the 20-point peace plan led by US President Donald Trump, the second phase requires Israel to withdraw from more areas in Gaza. It also involves the deployment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) and a new government structure. This includes the Trump-led Peace Council. During these talks, Hamas said it remains committed to the ceasefire but noted that Israeli actions have killed over 400 people since October 10.
A senior Hamas official said on Friday that talks must address these ongoing issues. "Our people expect these talks to result in an agreement to put an end to ongoing Israeli violations, halt all breaches, and compel the occupation to abide by the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement," said Bassem Naim of the Hamas political bureau.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister also warned that repeated violations "create a significant risk for transitioning to the second phase."
On Sunday, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians, including a child, in the West Bank. The war in Gaza has killed at least 70,669 Palestinians and injured 171,165 people since October 2023.
Read: Israel Approves New Settlements in Occupied West Bank
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