A well-informed Egyptian source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that “talks for the second phase have not practically begun; they exist only in theory due to difficulties on the ground and Israel’s clear exploitation of loopholes, including the issue of the bodies.”
The source added that “there is a need to deploy international forces to avert future complications, an effort Egypt is currently pursuing.”
The source warned that “the situation on the ground is extremely dangerous, with divisions that could widen,” adding, “theoretically, we are in the second phase as President Donald Trump says, but practically it hasn’t started.
The phase is difficult, the path toward it is rough, and there are no conditions that allow us to claim we’ve entered the second stage.”
Trump announced Tuesday on his Truth Social platform the start of the second phase of the Gaza agreement amid ambiguity surrounding the ceasefire deal, as Israel delayed aid deliveries and Hamas tightened its grip on the enclave.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said Tuesday that difficult discussions have begun on how to secure and manage the situation and ensure the war in Gaza does not resume.
He told Fox News that talks have already started in Sharm El-Sheikh, with teams working around the clock to avoid any gap between the first and second phases.
Regarding Egypt’s recent call for deploying international forces with UN Security Council approval, the Egyptian source told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We need this, and Egypt is working on it with partners and stakeholders. But it’s difficult to set a timetable, especially as Hamas appears intent on asserting military displays during the transitional period Trump recently allowed to maintain order, a move that contradicts his call on Tuesday for its swift disarmament.”
The source noted that “the issue isn’t just disarmament — which won’t be easy — but also Israel’s plan to demolish tunnels. These are complex issues that can’t be resolved quickly. The situation is opaque, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring for Gaza.”
During a White House meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei on Tuesday, Trump said: “If they (Hamas) don't disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently.”
An Egyptian source said Cairo “is moving in all directions to uphold the agreement, ensure its full implementation, and facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries.” The source added that Israel’s refusal to open the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing “is part of a stalling policy — exploiting the situation to delay progress — citing the ongoing issue of the bodies.”
He stressed that “developments must be monitored minute by minute, as changes are numerous and fast-moving. Unlike the first phase, which was completed within hours through Sharm El-Sheikh talks, the next stages will take longer.” The source said both Hamas and Israel “must act with great responsibility to implement the agreement as outlined.”
On Monday, Hamas released the last surviving Israeli hostages from Gaza, while Israel sent buses carrying Palestinian detainees to the enclave under the Trump-mediated ceasefire deal. However, a dispute remains over the return of bodies.
According to The Times of Israel, citing a diplomat and another informed source, Hamas told mediators it intends to hand over the remains of four more Israeli hostages on Wednesday, bringing the total number of bodies returned to Israel to 12.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is required to hand over 28 bodies in total. After Tuesday’s transfer of four, 20 remain in its possession. Hamas said it is struggling to locate the remains beneath the rubble after two years of war.
Meanwhile, Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, reported Wednesday that Israel decided to reopen the Rafah crossing with Egypt and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza after the return of four hostages’ remains. Israel also scrapped plans to halve the number of aid trucks entering the enclave. Reuters expects the crossing to reopen Thursday.
Beyond the crossing issue, the deployment of Palestinian police forces trained in Egypt and Jordan, as Cairo recently announced, also requires negotiations with Hamas and other factions over how they will be integrated into Gaza, said Palestinian researcher on US affairs Kamal Al-Zughoul.
Al-Zughoul told Asharq Al-Awsat that Trump “is determined to complete the stages of the agreement. When he sensed Tuesday that the handover of bodies was faltering, he said, ‘We immediately contacted Hamas at the highest levels.’ But Israel is now using the crossing as leverage to push the deal forward — and will likely repeat that in every phase.”
He added that Trump is expected to push ahead with his pledge to end the war and complete the ceasefire process, even as he faces Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “If Hamas fails to locate the remaining bodies,” Al-Zughoul warned, “things will get complicated, and new talks will be needed to finish the first stage.”
Two elements of the first phase remain outstanding — the handover of all bodies and the full reopening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt to allow unrestricted, large-scale humanitarian aid into Gaza.
