Netanyahu calls phase-two ceasefire a ‘declarative move’ as Gaza strikes kill nine

Israeli strikes in Gaza on Thursday killed nine people, including three women, even as U.S. officials announced the ceasefire would move into a second phase. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the U.S.-brokered shift as largely symbolic, questioning the practical steps needed to implement its tougher elements. The announcement included a proposed apolitical Palestinian governing committee and an international “Board of Peace,” but key operational details — from disarmament and international force deployment to reopening Rafah — remain unresolved. Families of hostages continued to press Israeli leaders for concrete progress, highlighting the fragility of the pause on the ground.

• Nine people were killed in Gaza on Thursday in multiple strikes, local hospitals reported, including three women among the dead.
• Gaza Health Ministry data show more than 450 deaths since the October ceasefire, and 71,441 total fatalities since the Oct. 7, 2023 offensive began.
• The ceasefire’s second phase calls for an apolitical Palestinian committee and an international “Board of Peace,” but the committee’s makeup remains unclear; an Israeli official said its composition was coordinated with Israel.
• Reconstruction estimates from U.N. agencies exceed $50 billion and are expected to take years; former PA official Ali Shaath projected roughly a three-year recovery window for major reconstruction steps.
• Key implementation questions include disarming Hamas, the timeline for international forces, the reopening of Rafah crossing, and the status of Hamas-affiliated civil servants and police.
• Israel has insisted on disarmament of Hamas; Hamas says it will dissolve its government to make way for the committee but has not clarified the fate of its armed wing.

Background

The current pause in fighting traces to an October agreement that halted major active operations between Israel and Hamas, following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in which militants killed roughly 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted about 251 others. International mediators have been negotiating a gradual transition from immediate humanitarian relief to longer-term governance and reconstruction arrangements for Gaza. The second phase announced by U.S. envoys envisions local technical governance and an international oversight body as precursors to broader recovery.

Gaza has long been governed by Hamas for nearly two decades, with complex local power structures and a large network of civil servants. Any transition to a new administrative arrangement must contend with the group’s security forces, local administrators, and the political reality of international demands for demilitarization. Humanitarian access and border management — notably the southern Rafah crossing into Egypt — are central operational issues tied to both relief deliveries and reconstruction logistics.

Main Event

On Thursday, several strikes struck locations across Gaza, and local hospitals reported nine deaths. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said two men died in one strike and three women and a man in another; Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat reported two killed and five injured in a separate strike, and Shifa Hospital reported one fatality in Gaza City. Israeli military spokespeople did not immediately reply to requests for comment about those specific strikes.

Separately, Israeli forces said they killed an individual who approached troops near the so-called Yellow Line — the boundary between Israeli-held areas of Gaza and the rest of the territory — after alleging an imminent threat. On the diplomatic front, U.S. officials described the move to phase two as progress, while Netanyahu told the family of a fallen Israeli police officer that the committee announcement was essentially declarative rather than operational.

Ali Shaath, a Gaza native and former Palestinian Authority official named to head the proposed committee, gave interviews outlining an ambitious reconstruction horizon: immediate shelter and clearance work, leading into multi-year rebuilding. He suggested a roughly three-year period for major recovery tasks and made a colorful remark about clearing rubble that drew attention to the scale of physical reconstruction ahead.

Analysis & Implications

Netanyahu’s characterization of the phase-two announcement as a “declarative move” risks undermining momentum for implementation. If Israeli leaders treat the step as symbolic, international partners and Palestinian stakeholders may face delays converting words into deployable forces, verified disarmament, and the reopening of border crossings that are essential for aid and materials. Political signaling by senior officials affects both donor confidence and local perceptions of whether security guarantees will hold.

The question of disarming Hamas is perhaps the thorniest operational hurdle. Hamas has said it will dissolve its government apparatus to allow the committee to operate, but it has not specified how or whether its armed wings would be integrated, disbanded, or otherwise neutralized. Without a credible, verifiable plan for weapons collection and security sector reform, any governance transition will be vulnerable to spoilers and renewed violence.

Reconstruction funding is another critical bottleneck. U.N. estimates put rebuilding costs above $50 billion, yet substantial donor pledges are largely absent, and much of the territory’s infrastructure has been devastated. Even with international funds, the logistical challenge of moving heavy equipment through border crossings, securing sites, and vetting contractors in a fragile security environment will make rapid recovery difficult.

Comparison & Data

These figures, drawn from local health authorities and U.N. agencies, illustrate both the human toll since the conflict began and the scale of recovery resources needed. The Gaza Health Ministry provides regular casualty tallies; U.N. agencies compile humanitarian needs and recovery cost estimates. Differences in methodology and access mean numbers can vary between sources, and Israel disputes ministry totals but has not published an alternative consolidated figure.

Reactions & Quotes

Official and local responses underline the disconnect between diplomatic announcements and daily realities.

“This is more of a declarative move than tangible progress,”

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister (remarks to relatives of a fallen officer)

Netanyahu made the comment while speaking with the parents of Ran Gvili, whose remains are still in Gaza; the family had urged restraint until their son’s return. His phrasing raised doubts among mediators and residents about how quickly the second phase could deliver on its promises.

“The ball is now in the court of the United States and international mediators to allow it to operate,”

Bassem Naim, Hamas political bureau member (statement on X)

Naim welcomed the committee announcement as a step toward statehood but gave few operational details, leaving open whether Hamas’s armed elements would be affected. That ambiguity complicates verification plans and international willingness to provide security assurances.

“We see on the ground that the war has not stopped, the bloodshed has not stopped,”

Samed Abu Rawagh, displaced Gaza resident (AP interview)

Residents and displaced people questioned whether phase two would change immediate access to food, medical care and shelter, underscoring skepticism born of months of hardship during repeated displacement and shortages.

Unconfirmed

• The exact membership and selection process for the apolitical Palestinian committee has not been publicly disclosed and remains unverified.
• Timelines for deploying international forces, including size, mandate and rules of engagement, have not been confirmed by participating governments.
• Whether Hamas’s military wing will be disbanded, integrated, or otherwise neutralized as part of the transition is not yet determined.
• Detailed breakdowns of casualties into combatants versus civilians have not been independently verified; Israeli figures have not been publicly released for comparison.

Bottom Line

The move to a so-called second phase of the ceasefire signals diplomatic progress but leaves the hardest issues unresolved: verified disarmament, a workable interim governance model, security arrangements, and the logistics and financing of reconstruction. Netanyahu’s characterization of the announcement as declarative highlights political skepticism that could slow implementation if not addressed by clear, verifiable steps.

For the people of Gaza, the immediate priorities remain safer access to food, fuel, shelter and medical care; until operational details on crossings, humanitarian corridors and security are in place, many residents will see little improvement. International donors, mediators and local leaders will need to agree on transparent benchmarks — returns of hostages or remains, verified demilitarization steps, and phased reopening of borders — to translate diplomatic language into measurable relief and rebuilding on the ground.

• The Associated Press (news report on ceasefire announcement and strikes)
• United Nations (official — reconstruction estimates and coordination)
• UNICEF (official — reporting on child casualties and humanitarian impact)