US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced the start of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan on Wednesday through a post on social media platform X. According to Witkoff, this phase will focus on disarmament, technocratic governance, and reconstruction. He warned that Hamas must fully comply with its obligations under the agreement, including the handover of all Israeli hostages’ bodies, or face serious consequences.

The report stated that since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza over a two-year period. A fragile ceasefire has been in place in the enclave for the past three months. The first phase of the plan included the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages.

Witkoff thanked Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar for their mediation efforts, crediting them for the progress achieved so far. The US State Department welcomed Palestinian support for Trump’s 20-point plan, describing it as a positive step toward stability in the region.