The deep Turkish involvement, the Peace Council, the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, who will pay and who will benefit from it, where the Gazans will live, how is it determined that Hamas is disarming, the question of the"last rifle", the Israeli withdrawal, coordination with Arab armies in the Gaza Strip, and more: these are the issues that the agreement between Israel and Hamas has not yet answered, and the problems that could arise from this.
Itamar Eichner
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Naturally, the Israeli public is currently focusing on one aspect of
The agreement between Israel and Hamas
: The return of the hostages remaining in Hamas captivity, which is expected to take place
Already at the beginning
But in fact, after the first phase, there are many details in the agreement that remain unresolved - and it seems that only a clear American guarantee that the fighting will not resume made it possible to move forward without them.
This is the full agreement document between Israel and Hamas.
5 Viewing the gallery
Most issues remain open. The document of agreements between Israel and Hamas
First, a matter
Finding the missing hostages
: Since Hamas said it did not know the location of nine of them, it was agreed that they would be established
International power
of Israel, the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey - who, with the assistance of the Red Cross, will try to search for every remains. This force is supposed to check information on the ground, look under the rubble of buildings, send expeditions, bring samples, and this may take many years. This mechanism, apparently, still needs to be regulated, as well as the consequences of its actions. In Israel, there is also fear that there are people whose burial place will never be known.
"Within 72 hours, Hamas will share all information it has on dead abductees through the information-sharing mechanism," the agreement document states."An information-sharing mechanism will be established between the two sides through the mediators and the Red Cross (ICRC) to exchange information on remaining abductees or deceased, who have not been located or have not been returned. The mechanism will ensure that all bodies are fully identified and returned. Hamas will make every effort to ensure that its obligations are completed as quickly as possible."
After that, there is also the security issue, and around it a big question mark: How do you make sure that Hamas actually lays down its weapons? The brokers in the deal, led by Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, are supposed to be the ones to make sure that the terrorist organization will actually do so - but Israel must be involved in this, to make sure that Hamas is not cheating. The working assumption is that the terrorist organization will of course cheat, and will not give up all of its weapons. It could, for example, hand over the heavy weapons and perhaps some of the light weapons, but it certainly will not give up the last rifle, the last pistol, the last grenades, the last RPG launchers, and so on. This issue is not in the agreement document - and is perhaps saved for"the day after."
And if Hamas is not completely disarmed, coupled with the fact that it still enjoys popularity among many Palestinians, it means that it will still have a dramatic influence on the government in the Gaza Strip - and perhaps one day it will be able to carry out another coup there. The agreement will have to satisfy Israeli security demands and ensure that Hamas is removed from the mechanisms of power, otherwise - in this respect - it will be a failure.
What will happen to the withdrawal if Hamas does not return the "last rifle"? The Chief of Staff in the Gaza Strip, today (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
The control mechanism in the Strip, in fact, is another important disappearance: US President Donald Trump is supposed to establish the"Peace Council" and appoint its members, while so far only the former British Prime Minister has been appointed.
Tony Blair
The president will have to appoint leaders in Muslim and Arab countries, perhaps also members of the World Bank and the European Union, who have money and can contribute to the project to rebuild the Strip. This council, headed by Blair, is supposed to eventually take control of areas in Gaza and make sure that Hamas is not present there - but this process is still in its infancy and its details have not been finalized.
Alongside the council, there is also the inter-Arab force that is supposed to be established in the Gaza Strip, with, among other things, talk of Indonesia also participating and sending soldiers alongside the United Arab Emirates and other countries, perhaps Saudi Arabia as well. This will have to be in full coordination with Israel: How do these armies enter and take responsibility for the area, under what rules of engagement do they operate, and how do they work in coordination with the IDF so that there is no exchange of fire between the sides until the withdrawal is complete? This is a very sensitive event, so Trump will have to continue to manage the event - but it is unclear how far the American commitment will go on this issue.
The IDF, it should be remembered, is remaining in the Strip at this stage, but it is expected to complete the withdrawal up to the perimeter in accordance with the progress of the agreement. The details of the initial withdrawal in exchange for the return of the hostages have already been agreed upon, and the IDF is likely to remain outside the city centers, but future withdrawals are supposed to be conditional on Hamas fulfilling its part of the agreement. And since the terrorist organization agreed to the deal only in light of clear American guarantees to Qatar and Turkey that Israel will not renew the fire, it is unclear what will happen if gaps arise between the parties later. What will happen, for example, if the Arab countries declare that Hamas is disarming, and Israel does not accept the determination?
There are also those who will benefit from the reconstruction. Satellite images: The destruction in Gaza City (Photo: Samuel Grandos of Planet Labs, from The New York Times)
Another major challenge that has not yet been resolved is the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, where most of the buildings have been almost completely destroyed: Trump is talking about tens of billions of dollars that will be poured into the Strip (and are also supposed to yield huge profits for capitalists, so that they are worthwhile). But how do you ensure that this time - unlike in the past - the money will not go to Hamas, and will not be used to build terrorist infrastructure?
In fact, the Strip is already littered with many explosive devices and many more tunnels. In addition, during the reconstruction, and since the"relocation" plan has been dropped, many Gazans will have nowhere to live at all - and they will continue to live in tents for a long time to come, since most of the Strip is completely uninhabitable. The continuation of this situation could turn it into a barrel of explosives that could explode at any moment and destroy the entire arrangement. Therefore, the reconstruction of these areas is an especially complex international task that must happen quickly, and will require the involvement of a number of countries - some of which are also hostile to Israel.
The economic interests in the reconstruction of the Strip are also a major omission: among other things, this involves the involvement of the Trump family, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as the Erdogan family and the rulers of the Gulf states. In the administration
The Gaza "Riviera" plan has been circulating for a long time.
, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed that negotiations are underway with the Americans so that Israel can also receive a share, because Gaza could be a"real estate bonanza." All of this raises questions about the real goals of some of those involved in the arrangement, and whether Israel could also benefit financially from it in some way.
Turkish stronghold in Ashdod port. Erdogan (Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP)
Will there be normalization? Indonesian President Sabyanto (Photo: BAY ISMOYO / AFP)
Another question mark that arises from the agreement is Israeli-Turkish relations, which have deteriorated to a low point since October 7 after a period of recovery. Now, Turkey will be able to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through Israel, and there is potential for reconciliation between the parties - since Ankara will have to establish a logistical rear in Ashdod that will receive the goods at the port and transport them to Gaza. This will give Turkey a lot of power, and create leverage with Israel, but it is also likely to lead to the lifting of the trade boycott on it and the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights.
A few weeks ago, Trump's son - Donald Trump Jr. - met with Erdogan's father-in-law, senior Turkish official Berat Albayrak. The Turkish opposition claimed that during this meeting the two closed a"deal" that would lead to Turkey being involved in humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza, and in return"getting" Hamas to sign the agreement. If this is indeed true, it is likely that Turkey will now demand the compensation.
And above all, apparently, is the issue of normalization - the same process that Hamas tried to thwart in the October 7 attack, and which may now resume in full force.
