What will be the next steps in the deal to pause the war in Gaza?

Even as peace talks are underway, many Palestinians fear that Israel will take any breakdown in the talks as a chance to resume its assault.

A deal has been reached, pausing the Gaza war, which the US President Donald Trump claimed will lead to “a strong, durable and everlasting peace”. The peace deal was reached after pressure from the US and Arab countries to end the 2-year-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip.

Displaced Palestinians gather on the coastal road near Wadi Gaza after the announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting(AP)

Once the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet ratify the deal, a partial pullback of Israeli forces in Gaza will be enforced, Associated Press reported, citing Arab officials and a Hamas official. While the extent of withdrawal is not clear yet, Hamas officials say that troops will move out of populated areas.

Meanwhile, hundreds of aid trucks will start moving into Gaza, after which negotiations will begin for the next phases.

Troop withdrawal

While Hamas has agreed to release hostages, it has said that it is relying on solid guarantees from Trump that Israel will fully withdraw its forces. Israel has spoken of keeping troops in a buffer zone within Gaza and in the Philadelphia Corridor, a strip of land on Gaza’s border with Egypt.

The 20-point plan issued by Trump mentions an Arab-led international security force to move into Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. As per the plan, Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy.

Disarmament

Hamas has long refused to give up weapons, stating that it is right to armed resistance until Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories ends. Israel, meanwhile, has said that it will not end its campaign until Hamas’s military capabilities are dismantled. However, there are signs that Hamas could agree to a “decommissioning” of its offensive weapons, handing them over to a joint Palestinian-Egyptian committee.

Future government

In terms of future government, Israel wishes to purge Gaza of Hamas’ influence and doesn't want any role for the West Bank-based Palestine Authority. In this respect, what will take place is still uncertain. Trump’s peace plan suggests an international body, the Council of Peace or Board of Peace, as both names have been floated. So far, Hamas has not agreed, stating that a government should be worked out among Palestinians in light of their rights to sovereignty.

Even as peace talks are underway, many Palestinians fear that Israel will take any breakdown in the talks as a chance to resume its assault. For months, Netanyahu and his hard-line allies have maintained that Israel will retain long-term direct security control over Gaza, while also suggesting the "voluntary" relocation of its Palestinian population.

In another scenario, if Hamas and Israel fail to reach a final deal, Gaza could slide into an unstable limbo, with Israeli troops still holding parts of it and Hamas still active. In that case, Israel would be unlikely to allow significant reconstruction, leaving Gaza's population struggling in tents or camps.

(With inputs from AP)