Khaberni - White House spokesperson Carolyn Levitt said the work is still ongoing to recover the body of the last Israeli captive in Gaza, confirming that President Donald Trump's administration is making intensive efforts behind the scenes to move to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Levitt added in a briefing for reporters that the announcement of the Gaza Peace Council and the formation of a technocratic government will be made "in due time," emphasizing that the U.S. administration is striving to ensure a "lasting peace" in the sector.
Trump announced - last Wednesday - that he will reveal at the beginning of 2026 the formation of the Gaza Peace Council, an authority that will oversee governance and reconstruction in the sector.
Also, the Axios website reported from U.S. and Israeli officials that Trump plans to appoint an American general to lead the International Stabilization Force (ISF) to be deployed in the Gaza Strip.
According to the site, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Walz informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials that the U.S. administration will take the lead of the international force.
The prisoner file obstructs progress
Despite American pressure, Israel insists it will not move to the second stage before recovering the body of the captive Ran Goeli. Tel Aviv has provided the negotiators with aerial photographs and intelligence materials to search for his location.
An Israeli official said, "We will not relent until Ran is returned to be buried in Israel."
Washington hopes to deploy the International Stabilization Force in early 2026, starting from Rafah. According to American sources, Indonesia and Azerbaijan are willing to contribute forces, while other countries prefer providing training, funding, or equipment.
However, Netanyahu expressed in private talks his doubts about the ability of this force to dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities alone, saying he believes the Israeli Defense Forces will have to "play some role."
Israeli officials - according to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper - say that Washington seems more interested in the reconstruction of Gaza compared to disarming Hamas, which raises concerns for Tel Aviv.
American pressure to remove debris
In a related context, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israel is under increasing American pressure regarding the cost of removing the vast debris left by the war in the Gaza Strip.
Reports in the Israeli newspaper and American media revealed that Washington links the debris removal to the start of the reconstruction process as part of the second phase of the ceasefire, with Rafah designated as a model starting point.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported from sources that Israel has agreed in principle to bear the cost, which is expected to reach hundreds of millions of dollars, and that it will resort to specialized companies to execute the operation.
So far, there has been no comment from the Israeli Prime Minister's office regarding these commitments.
This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Gaza Strip is covered with about 68 million tons of debris. The United Nations Development Programme, overseeing the planning for the removal operations, estimates that the amount of debris is roughly equivalent to the weight of 186 buildings the size of the "Empire State Building."
Removing the debris in the Gaza Strip is a fundamental condition for launching the reconstruction process as part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
