Dan Shapiro on Phase One of the Israel-Gaza Peace Deal and Future Steps

Phase One of the Peace Deal

• 🎯 Phase one of the peace deal is already underway, with the Israeli military redeploying to agreed lines and the guns falling silent.
• 🤝 Over the next 72 hours, the release of remaining hostages to Israel and their families is expected, alongside a significant flow of aid into Gaza.
• 🕊️ The release of some Palestinian prisoners is also a key component of phase one, which is intended to end the war.
• 💬 Dan Shapiro expresses high confidence that phase one will be successfully completed by Monday noon.

Complicating Factors and Next Steps

• 💔 The potential non-recoverability of remains of deceased hostages is a tragic complicating factor, though it's unlikely to derail the overall deal.
• 🧠 Hamas may be using the situation for psychological warfare or to create a sense of penalization.
• 🇺🇸 A task force involving the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey has been set up to help identify the whereabouts of any missing remains.

The Hard Work Ahead: Phase Two

• ✈️ The deployment of US civil-military personnel is crucial for civil-military coordination and expediting humanitarian assistance.
• 🏗️ Phase two involves the rebuilding of Gaza, finding security for both Israelis and Palestinians, and creating opportunities for a better Palestinian life and greater Israeli peace.
• 🔑 A critical next step is disarming and removing Hamas from power, which is essential for reconstruction funding, the Palestinian Authority's role in Gaza, and discussions about a political horizon, including a pathway to a Palestinian state.
• 🚫 Without Hamas being removed from power, none of the subsequent critical steps for Gaza's future can be achieved.