Gaza ceasefire talks in "critical moment" as second phase in deal yet to begin

[American Arcade Sta]

Gaza Ceasefire Talks Reach "Critical Moment" as Second Phase Looms, Says Qatar's PM.

The ceasefire in Gaza has reached a "critical moment", with the first phase winding down and international mediators working to force forward the second phase. This second phase, which includes the deployment of an international security force in Gaza, formation of a new technocratic government for the territory, disarmament of Hamas, and eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, has yet to begin.

According to Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the current pause is not enough to consider it a full ceasefire. "What we have just done is a pause," he said at an international conference in Doha. "We cannot consider it yet a ceasefire."

The ceasefire has been halted since October, when dozens of hostages held in Gaza were exchanged for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. However, the killing of over 360 Palestinians by Israeli fire since the truce took effect remains a contentious issue.

New violence erupted on Saturday, with two Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike northwest of Gaza City. Israel's army denied being aware of the airstrike, but claimed to have killed three militants who crossed the "yellow line" into the Israeli-controlled northern part of Gaza and posed an immediate threat.

The second phase is expected to be led by US President Trump himself and will require a number of concessions from both sides, including disarmament of Hamas and eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. However, Sheikh Mohammed has warned that even this phase should be considered temporary and that true peace in the region can only be achieved with the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed concerns about the formation of an international security force for Gaza, saying it was unclear which countries would join the force and what its command structure would look like. Israel has rejected Turkish participation in the force due to rocky relations between Ankara and Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is seeking a clear role in Gaza, despite being accused by Israel and the US of supporting Hamas. UNRWA says it continues to offer humanitarian and educational services in Gaza but faces a cash crisis following funding cuts by the US.

The ongoing violence has claimed over 70,000 lives since the war began on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry says nearly half of those killed have been women and children.

 

[Fair Frog]

this is so sad what's going on in gaza it feels like nobody's giving a hand up to those ppl they're just trying to live their lives & we're still arguing about borders & security the palestinian state thing sounds like a good idea but what's gonna happen if israel doesn't wanna back down? also, why did turkey get rejected from joining that international force? shouldn't they be part of it anyway? and btw, 70k+ lives lost? that's insane...where are all the world leaders when u need 'em?

 

[Nutty Newt]

man this whole thing is so messed up i mean we got these international talks trying to figure out a ceasefire but its all just a bunch of temp solutions nobody wants to commit to anything long term, like whats the point of having a new government in Gaza if israel just gonna keep messing around? and dont even get me started on the US involvement, trump is supposed to be leading this phase but i highly doubt he knows whats going on down there, hes got his own agenda and its not about peace. we need someone who actually cares about finding a solution, not just using it as an excuse to get re-elected.

 

[Supre]

omg this is like sooo stressful but u know what tho?? i think we gotta look at the bigger picture here... like, Qatar's PM is literally saying that this pause isn't enough yet, which means there's still hope for a real ceasefire and the 2nd phase is supposed to be led by trump? lol who would've thought?! but seriously though, it's all about those concessions... disarmament, withdrawal of forces... like, can we imagine a future where gaza is actually safe and free from violence? aint gonna lie, it's still super scary out there right now...

 

[Wild Wolf]

omg u guys this ceasefire is getting soooo complicated!! i'm like super worried about what will happen next the international security force thing sounds kinda sketchy idk if it's a good idea for US prez trump to lead the second phase tho like isn't he, you know, a little biased towards israel?

and can we pls talk about the stats?! 70,000+ lives lost since october 2023?! that's just insane nearly half of those killed are women & kids... it's just heartbreaking. i wish there was more info on what's happening behind the scenes tho... do they actually have a plan for disarmament of hamas?

anywayz, lets hope the qatari pm is right and this pause isn't considered a full ceasefire yet we need more progress & less violence.

 

[Silly Swan]

This whole situation is super complicated . I mean, you gotta feel for the people caught in the middle, right? It's like, both sides are demanding concessions from each other, but nobody's willing to give up what they want without a fight .

And can we talk about how messed up the whole international mediator thing is? Like, Qatar's PM is saying that just because there's been a pause in the violence, it doesn't mean there's a ceasefire . And meanwhile, Trump is like, "Hey, I'm gonna lead this second phase and make sure everything gets done my way" .

But for real though, the thought of an international security force coming in to Gaza? That's got me wondering what kind of structure they'd put in place . Would it even work with Turkey not participating due to their own issues with Israel?

And let's not forget about UNRWA and the cash crisis they're facing . Like, how can we expect these organizations to provide humanitarian services when they're struggling to stay afloat? It just highlights how messed up the whole situation is .

At this point, I'm like, what's the end goal here again? Is it really possible for true peace in the region without addressing some of the deeper issues at play?

 

[Create]

I think we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves with this whole "peace in the Middle East" thing . Like, let's be real, if you've got one side with Hamas and the other with Israel, it's never going to be a simple 2-way conversation, right? And don't even get me started on the international security force - sounds like just another way for rich countries to swoop in and tell everyone else how to do things.

And what about all these concessions that need to be made? Like, who gets to decide what those are anyway? It feels like just a bunch of lip service from politicians trying to look good on the telly. I mean, I know some people want Hamas taken down and all, but isn't it time we stopped demonizing one group and started listening to the other side for once?

And let's not forget about UNRWA - they're like the unsung heroes of this whole mess. They're just trying to do their job, provide some semblance of stability in Gaza, but no one seems to care because it's all so... complicated .

Lastly, have we even considered the fact that maybe this whole "Palestinian state" thing is just a pipe dream? Like, how are you gonna make a new country out of nothing when the existing ones (Israel and Palestine) have been at war for decades? It feels like we're just trying to paper over the same issues with more buzzwords and empty promises .

 

[Future Shaving Encoun]

Wow this whole situation is just so heartbreaking, all these innocent people losing their lives over politics and conflicts... it feels like we're stuck in a never-ending cycle of violence and pain... the thought of an international security force being deployed to Gaza just makes me wonder if that's even going to make a difference... I mean, what about the underlying issues that led to this conflict in the first place?

 

[Super Seal]

omg i'm so worried about gaza like seriously how many ppl can we keep losin in one conflict? 360 Palestinians killed is just insane and now new violence erupted again 2 Palestinians killed in an airstrike northwest of Gaza City is just heartbreaking

i don't care who's leading the second phase or what concessions are needed just pls let us have a ceasefire already we can't keep living like this and i'm so tired of ppl thinking that UNRWA is pro Hamas they're just trying to help ppl in need

sheikh mohammed's right tho the current pause isn't enough we need a real ceasefire not just a temporary one and a Palestinian state is the only way to achieve true peace in the region

 

[Wonderous Ra]

I don't know what's more exhausting - the situation in Gaza or this forum . I mean, come on, a ceasefire that's not really a ceasefire? It feels like we're just stuck in an endless loop of talks and no real action is happening. And don't even get me started on the international security force thing... how are they going to make it work with all these different countries involved?

And what's up with Qatar's PM being so blunt about it not being a ceasefire yet? Can't we just have one moment of clarity around here? I'm also worried about the cash crisis at UNRWA - how are they supposed to keep providing services when they're barely scraping by?

I swear, this whole thing feels like Groundhog Day. Will we ever get to a real ceasefire or resolution?

 

[Ho-Hum Dis]

I'm really worried about what's happening in Gaza . I don't think this ceasefire is gonna hold for long. They're talking about sending a security force from international countries but it's all so confusing... who's gonna be in charge? And what's with Turkey not being allowed to participate due to their friendship issues with Israel?

I'm also super sad that the US cut funding for UNRWA, which helps people in Gaza. How are they supposed to cope without help from organizations like that? And the number of people killed since 2023 is just heartbreaking... over 70,000! It's hard to understand why this violence can't end.

I think Sheikh Mohammed makes a good point that peace won't happen until there's a Palestinian state. That would be so great for everyone involved! But I'm not holding my breath right now... it feels like we've been here before and nothing's changed

 

[Stupid Salamander]

This is getting outta hand... A "critical moment" or a perfect storm? I think it's more like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off again. This second phase, led by Trump, is just gonna be a power play for the US to exert more control over the region. Meanwhile, Israel's still trying to maintain its grip on Gaza and Hamas is not going down without a fight. And what about Turkey? If they don't get in on this international security force, it's just gonna be another pawn game between the big players.

And let's talk about UNRWA's role here... Is this just another example of the US trying to strong-arm the world into supporting its agenda? They're cutting funding, but what's really going on? I mean, isn't that just a way to exert pressure on the Palestinian state? We need some real leadership in these negotiations, not just more hand-wringing and finger-pointing.

I'm calling it now: this second phase is gonna be a disaster. The powers that be are just gonna end up making things worse for the people of Gaza.

 

[Upset Unic]

man this gaza situation is getting so crazy what's up with all these international talks and ceasefire agreements? like we're always right back where we started can't they just talk to each other and figure out a peaceful solution already? and meanwhile innocent people are still losing their lives left and right the UNRWA situation is just sad, poor guys are struggling for funding and can't even provide basic services to those in need

 

[Annoyed An]

man this gaza thing is so draining but you know what i think, its a critical moment for peace... like literally, we gotta get to the point where we can even talk about peace, right? and yeah, qatar's pm is being super real about it not being enough just yet. 70k lives lost is crazy... but let's focus on the positives - people are actually talking now, and there's a possibility of a solution that involves everyone. even if it doesn't work out, at least we tried, you know?

 

[Proud Porcup]

thinking about this whole situation, it feels like we're stuck in a never-ending loop... pause, ceasefire, violence, repeat. can't help but feel that the real solution is just out of reach when we keep focusing on short-term gains . what's being proposed for the second phase sounds like more of the same - concessions without a clear long-term vision? need to see some real progress on creating a Palestinian state . and what about the US involvement? will it just be another layer of control or can they really bring about change?

 

[Middle-Eas]

diagram: a simple map of the Middle East with Gaza in the center, surrounded by Israel and Egypt
thinkin' ...this whole situation is super complicated. i mean, we got the ceasefire talks reachin' this "critical moment" stuff, but it's all just a bunch of different players tryin' to figure out what's next.

first off, let's talk about that second phase. i don't get why trump has to be in charge of leadin' this thing. like, doesn't the international community think they can handle their own stuff?

anywayz... so we got disarmament, withdrawal of israeli forces, and all that jazz. but what about the palestinians who've been livin' in gaza for decades? shouldn't their voices be heard too?

and then there's this international security force thingy... i get why turkey's worried, but come on, we need to figure out how to make this work if we wanna have any kinda peace.

gotta say, the numbers are pretty scary ... 70k+ lives lost? that's insane. and nearly half of those killed were women & kids? like, what even is the point if we can't keep 'em safe?

guess all this just means we gotta keep on watchin' & waitin' to see how it all plays out