US President Donald Trump’s top envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, on Saturday met with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, pressing him to move to the second phase of the peace plan.
The meeting followed the formal inauguration of the Gaza Board of Peace, an international transitional body chaired by Trump that will oversee the demilitarization, governance, and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Meeting in Israel
Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Israel on Saturday to meet with Netanyahu. Their meeting focused on advancing the second phase of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, Netanyahu’s Office said, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The discussions also addressed the recovery of the remains of the last hostage in Gaza as well as efforts to demilitarize the Gaza Strip to ensure long-term peace, in line with Trump’s plan, US officials said.
The US pushes to move forward with the plan’s second phase, but Israel is prioritizing the recovery of Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage, amid intensifying pressure on Netanyahu.
Reopening Rafah Crossing
Phase two of Trump’s peace plan will see the reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing between Gaza and Egypt. On Thursday, the head of the Palestinian technocratic committee (NCAG), Ali Shaath, said that the border crossing will open in both directions next week. The Gaza side of the crossing has been under Israeli military control since 2024.
In the same vein, Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, urged for the immediate opening of the Rafah Crossing in both directions, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
During a phone call with the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, Egypt’s top diplomat discussed the implementation of the plan’s second phase, including the deployment of an international monitoring force, the opening of the Rafah Crossing in both directions and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Moreover, Abdelatty stressed that the implementation of phase two is a “key entry point” to start the reconstruction process of Gaza.
Last Hostage Dilemma
Although Israel has not confirmed the reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing, Gvili’s family called for more pressure on Hamas to return the hostage’s body before advancing the plan’s second phase.
“President Trump himself said this week in Davos that Hamas knows where our son is. We wonder why the pressure is being directed at the wrong place. The pressure should not be on the Israeli government to continue to fulfill its part of the agreement while Hamas is deceiving the entire world and refusing to return the last kidnapped person, in accordance with the agreement it signed,” the family said in a statement on Saturday.
Hamas, for its part, said on Wednesday that it had provided “all information” on Gvili’s remains to the mediators, accusing Israel of hindering search efforts in areas under its control.
Gaza Demilitarization
Senior US officials said that the demilitarization of Gaza was part of Trump’s envoys discussions with Netanyahu, the Jerusalem Post reported.
During the Board of Peace‘s signing ceremony on Thursday, Trump warned Hamas to disarm. “They have to give up their weapons, and if they don’t do that, it’s going to be the end of them,” he said.
Similarly, Kushner linked Gaza’s reconstruction plans to the disarmament of Hamas. “If Hamas does not demilitarize, that will be what holds back Gaza and the people of Gaza from achieving their aspiration,” he noted.
Kushner unveiled a blueprint for Gaza‘s reconstruction, formulated by businessman Yakir Gabay. It features architectural renderings of luxury coastal developments and high-rise hubs, starting in Rafah.
To pave the way for this economic surge, the US is pushing a strict 100-day timeline for Hamas to disarm. Under this target, the next three months would see a concentrated effort to dismantle heavy weaponry, neutralize the tunnel system, and seize remaining ammunition stockpiles.
“New Gaza, it could be a hope, it could be a destination. We’ve made several impossible things happen just in Gaza today, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to make even more impossible things happen,” Kushner said.
