Israel’s position that phase two of the Gaza ceasefire cannot begin without the final hostage being returned is intended to pressure Hamas rather than halt the U.S. plan, analyst Nuno Wahnon Martins tells AnewZ.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Miami at the end of the month as Washington pushes to advance its Gaza ceasefire roadmap. The shift to phase two remains tied to Israel’s demand for the last hostage’s remains, but Netanyahu has already indicated the transition is expected “very shortly”.
Speaking to AnewZ from Brussels, political analyst Nuno Wahnon Martins said the condition “does not freeze the plan”. Instead, he described it as a tactical move to increase pressure on Hamas, which he argues faces the toughest stage of the process as the second phase challenges both its military capability and its political control in Gaza.
Martins said both Israel and Hamas recognise that phase two “will take place sooner or later”, with current talks centred on who will manage parts of Gaza after Hamas is removed from day-to-day governance. He referenced Netanyahu’s quiet consultations with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair on possible administrative roles for a reformed Palestinian Authority.
According to Martins, Trump is pushing Netanyahu on three fronts: coordination with Egypt on Gaza and regional gas issues, a recalibrated approach to Syria, and follow-up discussions with a U.S. envoy after recent disagreements. Qatar and Egypt, he added, remain crucial mediators capable of advancing Hamas’s consent to the next stage.
While reports of isolated Israeli strikes, including in Jabalia, illustrate the fragility on the ground, Martins said he does not expect a return to large-scale fighting. With Washington committed to its 20-point Gaza plan, he argued that neither side wants to break the current ceasefire framework.
Humanitarian access remains the unresolved challenge. Martins noted ongoing disagreements between Israel and UN agencies, limited aid flows and worsening winter conditions, warning that reconstruction and safe corridors will depend on an agreed neutral mechanism.
For now, he believes U.S. leverage over Israel and mediator influence on Hamas will keep the process moving. Israel’s hostage condition, he said, is a negotiating instrument rather than a barrier, with the decisive questions ahead centred on security, disarmament and the governance of post-conflict Gaza.
China’s growing use of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles took centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show 2026, which opened on 2...
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecu...
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections on Saturday (25 April), marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. Th...
Militants have staged coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and several locations across the country, the army said on Saturday (...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in G...
U.S. efforts to push Iran into accepting pre-war conditions are intensifying, as tensions continue despite an extended ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf has ruled out a new round of negotiations with the U.S. in Islamabad on Tuesday “under shadow of threats.”
The Trump Organization, a real estate conglomerate owned by U.S. President Donald Trump and managed by his sons, has announced plans to build Georgia’s tallest building in the capital, Tbilisi. The project will mark the first Trump-branded development in the region.
Iran’s top negotiator has said recent talks with the United States have shown progress, but that major differences remain over nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz, as diplomatic efforts continue alongside escalating regional instability.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Iran under Pakistani mediation.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenia has confirmed it will not air the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, joining a widening boycott over Israel’s participation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala on Saturday (25 April) during a working visit to the country.
An additional consignment of Russian wheat has been dispatched to Armenia via Azerbaijan transit routes on 24 April, continuing a series of deliveries using regional rail corridors.
France and Armenia are set to strengthen cooperation in defence, technology and the economy during a state visit by President Emmanuel Macron, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister has confirmed.
Around 14% of Central Asia’s population - about 12 million people - are facing food shortages, according to the United Nations. The issue was a central focus at the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana.
Türkiye sent six trucks carrying critical medical supplies to Iran on Thursday, reinforcing humanitarian assistance amid challenging cross-border conditions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment