Trump to announce Phase 2 of Gaza plan while last hostage remains

“Moving to Phase 2 at this time would mean losing the most significant leverage we have.”

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump is expected to announce Wednesday that his administration is moving forward with Phase 2 of its Gaza plan, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal and i24NEWS.

Sources familiar with the details told i24NEWS that the next phase will include the establishment of a Peace Board and the formation of a Palestinian technocratic government to temporarily administer the Gaza Strip.

The move would mark a significant step in Washington’s postwar framework for Gaza, even as the security situation remains volatile.

According to a Saudi media report, the chairman of the proposed Gaza administration committee, Ali Shaath, is expected to arrive in Cairo on Wednesday, accompanied by security official Mohammad Nasman, as preparations advance toward final approval of the full committee.

A Hamas delegation led by senior figure Khalil al-Hayya also arrived in Cairo late Tuesday for talks with Egyptian officials and Palestinian factions regarding the governing mechanism for the Strip.

The reports of a possible move to Phase 2 prompted an immediate response from the families of Israeli hostages, focused on the fate of the final fallen captive whose remains have not been recovered.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Wednesday it is urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to honor what it described as a commitment not to advance to the next phase until police officer Master Sgt. Ran Gvili is returned.

“Moving to Phase 2 at this time, while efforts to bring Ran home have not been exhausted, would mean losing the most significant leverage we have,” the forum said. “Until Ran is returned, Israel cannot close its deepest wound or begin the healing it needs.”

Families affiliated with the Hope Forum issued a separate statement calling any move to Phase 2 “a blatant violation of the agreement,” saying the reports were “deeply troubling.” They warned that advancing while Hamas remains in control would allow the group to rearm and rebuild.

“You promised us there would be no Phase 2 as long as Ran has not returned,” the families said. “First bring Ran home and defeat Hamas. Only afterward should there be any discussion of rehabilitating Gaza.”

According to reports in Israeli media published Tuesday, Israeli officials believe members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad are aware of the location of Gvili’s remains.

Officials have conveyed this assessment to mediators and said the next stage of the agreement cannot move forward until his body is returned.

One senior government official said efforts to secure Gvili’s return are ongoing through negotiations, coordination with mediators and the United States, and intelligence channels.

The diplomatic push also comes against a backdrop of recent security violations in Gaza.

Israeli forces confirmed this week that six armed terrorists were killed during a firefight in western Rafah on Tuesday, following a similar incident a day earlier in southern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces described both incidents as serious violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Last month, Trump publicly warned that Hamas must comply with the terms of the Gaza plan, including disarmament, saying failure to do so would carry severe consequences.

“If they don’t disarm, as they agreed to do, then there will be hell to pay for them,” Trump said.