As implementation of Phase One of the Gaza cease-fire agreement nears its end, Arab countries including Qatar and Egypt, mediators of the cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, called for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and the swift deployment of an international stabilization force.

At the Doha Forum held in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on the 6th (local time), Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said, “The current situation is closer to a pause than a cease-fire,” adding, “Only when Israeli forces withdraw completely and the Gaza Strip regains stability so that people can move freely will the cease-fire be complete.”

He said the Gaza war cease-fire is “at a critical crossroads,” and that mediators including the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey are “coming together to explore a path to the next phase.”

Al Thani stressed that the root causes of the conflict must be resolved for peace between Israel and Palestine, emphasizing, “Only the establishment of a Palestinian state will make peace possible.”

The Phase One Gaza cease-fire announced on October 10 is nearing completion of implementation after Hamas returned 27 of the 28 bodies it had agreed to hand back to Israel. As a result, only the body of Israeli police officer Ran Gvili remains in Gaza.

However, Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have continued even after the cease-fire took effect. Gaza’s health authorities said that more than 360 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the cease-fire took effect and accused Israel of violating the cease-fire agreement more than 600 times. The Israeli military’s attacks continued on the day as well, leaving seven Palestinians dead in Gaza, including a 70-year-old woman killed in a drone strike. Israel claims the actions are retaliatory measures for attacks on its forces by Palestinian armed groups.

Mediators are conducting behind-the-scenes negotiations to move to Phase Two of the cease-fire, but the talks are struggling. Phase Two envisions disarming Hamas, forming a peace committee to oversee postwar governance in Gaza, establishing a technocratic government for Gaza, and deploying an International Stabilization Force (ISF), but there has been no tangible progress.

Arab states called for the immediate dispatch of the ISF to take responsibility for postwar security in Gaza. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said, “Because Israel is violating the cease-fire daily, the ISF must be deployed as soon as possible.”

However, the creation of the ISF has run into difficulties as Arab countries, concerned about armed clashes with Hamas, are reluctant to contribute troops. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, “There are major questions about establishing the ISF,” pointing out that “the participating countries, the chain of command, and the nature of the first mission are unclear.”

Meanwhile, Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, criticized Israel for stoking regional tensions to divert attention from the “horrific massacre” it committed in Gaza. He said, “Israel is overinterpreting its conflict with Hamas, justifying it in the name of security and continuing its attacks,” adding, “Israel has become a country fighting ghosts.”

Hamas, for its part, said it is ready to hand over weapons in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority if the Israeli military occupation ends. Khalil al-Hayya, who leads Hamas’s cease-fire negotiating delegation, said, “Our weapons exist because occupation and aggression exist,” adding, “Once the occupation ends, these weapons will be placed under the authority of the state (Palestine).”

As talks falter, the United States is accelerating the move into Phase Two of the cease-fire. The U.S. online outlet Axios reported that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to announce entry into Phase Two of the Gaza peace initiative before Christmas and unveil a new governance structure. The Associated Press reported that a peace committee led by President Trump is expected to be formed by the end of the year.