With the remains of one hostage still in Gaza, the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas is nearly complete, after a two-month process plagued by delays and finger-pointing.

Now, the key players — including Israel, the Palestinian terror group Hamas, the United States, and a diverse list of international parties — are to move to a far more complicated second phase that could reshape the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan — which was approved by the UN Security Council — lays out an ambitious vision for ending Hamas’s rule of Gaza. If successful, it would see the rebuilding of a demilitarized Gaza under international supervision, normalized relations between Israel and the Arab world, and a possible pathway to Palestinian independence.

But if the deal stalls, Gaza could be trapped in an unstable limbo for years to come, with the Hamas terror group remaining in control of parts of the territory, Israel’s army enforcing an open-ended occupation, and its residents stuck homeless, unemployed, unable to travel abroad and dependent on international aid to stay alive.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar and a key mediator, said over the weekend that the ceasefire is at a critical point, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to the White House this month to discuss the next steps.

Here is a closer look at the next stages of the ceasefire and the potential pitfalls.

Trump’s plan calls for the formation of an international force — known as the International Stabilization Force — to maintain security and train Palestinian police to one day take over. That force has not yet been formed, and a deployment date has not been announced.

Some countries — including Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Indonesia — have expressed willingness to participate. But no firm decisions have been made. Israel is insistent that Turkey, which has hosted........

© The Times of Israel