Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir (center) meets with Israeli reserve troops in the Gaza Strip on December 7. (IDF)
Israel is awaiting the return of the remains of the last hostage still held in Gaza as officials in the Middle East and the US continue to negotiate how the ceasefire in the territory will progress to the next phase.
“A Friday afternoon gathering for Ran Gvili, the fallen police officer whose body is the last one remaining in Gaza, will take place for the second week in a row at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square,” The Times of Israel reported on December 11. Gvili’s remains are believed to be held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the report added.
The return of all the hostages, living and deceased, was a key part of the US-backed ceasefire deal that Israel and Hamas agreed to in early October. After all the hostages are returned, the ceasefire is expected to move to a new phase that may include the deployment of an international force in Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas. However, there are hurdles to the next phase, according to reports.
“US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will announce the members of the Board of Peace overseeing the postwar management of Gaza early next year, in the latest sign the effort is stalling,” The Times of Israel reported on December 11. Discussions are ongoing about who will serve on the Board of Peace, and The Guardian noted on December 8 that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair had been dropped from consideration.
The White House is also moving forward with plans for the international force that is expected to be deployed to Gaza. “The Trump administration is planning to appoint an American two-star general to command the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, according to two US officials and two Israeli officials,” Axios noted on December 11. The report added that “two Israeli officials said UN Ambassador Mike Waltz, who visited Israel this week, told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials that the Trump administration is going to lead the ISF and appoint a two-star general as its commander.” Azerbaijan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Egypt have reportedly expressed interest in joining the force.
Waltz met with Israeli officials during his visit. In a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Waltz and Herzog discussed the implementation of the ceasefire plan.
“We hope that the process will not take too long, because in the Middle East, if you wait for too long, then the vacuum fills in, and the rogue elements don’t rest for a moment,” Herzog said.
“What has been clear, and I want to be clear, is Hamas has to go. President Trump has been clear, that’s going to happen the easy way or the hard way, but there will not be any more Hamas,” Waltz added.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continues to face challenges in administering the roughly half of the territory it controls and is demarcated by the “Yellow Line.” On December 10, the IDF noted that several Israeli civilians entered Gaza and it handed them over to the Israeli police. “The IDF emphasizes that any entry into a combat zone is prohibited,” the Israeli military said. In addition, the IDF said that Israeli troops had identified two terrorists crossing the Yellow Line, and one of the interlopers was eliminated. In a separate incident on December 7, the IDF said that it had eliminated a suspected terrorist.
On December 7, the IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited Israeli troops in Gaza and conducted a situational assessment with the head of IDF Southern Command, Major General Yaniv Asor, and the head of the 252nd Division, Brigadier General Yehuda Wagen. Zamir traveled to several sectors in northern Gaza, including Beit Hanoun and Jabaliya.
“We are operating to thwart and remove threats in all arenas. We will not tolerate threats against our troops, and we will respond to any attempt,” Zamir said, adding, “We will not allow Hamas to reestablish itself. We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip, and we will remain on those defense lines. The Yellow Line is a new border line — serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity.”