The end of the first phase of the ceasefire

[Twiglets1]

It is being reported across various media today that Israel has retrieved the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza. The Independent say that this "signals the end of the first phase of a Trump-brokered ceasefire agreed in October".

The remains of 24-year-old police officer Ran Gvili was discovered on Monday and will now be returned for burial, an Israeli official told Reuters.

Israel said it would reopen Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the main route for Palestinians to enter and leave the territory, once Gvili’s body had been returned.

The development signals the end of the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas, which has been scarred by accusations of breaches on both sides.

US officials expect Israel to open the Rafah crossing this week. It will be staffed by Palestinians affiliated with the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, and monitored by EU personnel, which is how it was run during a previous ceasefire.

Israel wants to ensure that more Palestinians leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing than are allowed back in, three sources briefed on the matter told Reuters.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/ran-gvili-israel-hostage-gaza-hamas-b2907723.html

Found hidden or found lost?

The last hostage to return home is good. At last.

Trump says Hamas helped find last hostage, now must disarm

President Trump told Axios in an interview on Monday that Hamas had helped locate the remains of the last Israeli hostage. He called on the group to now follow through on its commitment to disarm.

Why it matters: With the recovery of Ran Gvili's body, every Israeli hostage — living and dead — has now been returned. The return of his body is a critical moment for Trump's peace deal.

Meanwhile, Israel says it will reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt in a "limited" capacity later this week.

The opening of the crossing and the return of Gvili's body were the last major hurdles left over from phase one of Trump's deal.

Attention can now fully turn to the second phase. It involves demilitarizing Gaza and bringing in a new government and security force.

What he's saying: Trump told Axios the search for the body and the identification process was "very tough" because the search teams "had to go through hundreds of bodies" in the area. "It was a hard scene."

Trump gave Hamas credit for helping in the search efforts. "They worked very hard to get the body back. They were working with Israel on it. You can imagine how hard it was."

A senior U.S. official confirmed that in a briefing with reporters on Monday afternoon. "I will say Hamas was very cooperative in this. They fulfilled the obligation that they signed up for."

What's next: "Now we have to disarm Hamas like they promised," Trump stressed.

https://www.axios.com/2026/01/26/trump-israeli-hostage-recover-hamas-disarm

All reasonably positive but then a lot if pro pals will only see a ceasefire when Israel doesn't exist.

I always thought a ceasefire would frustrate Palestianian supporters as they have lost their main narrative to attract global support for Hamas.

Netanyahu confirmed in a speech yesterday that the Rafah crossing “will be open in both directions” when it resumes operations soon. He estimates the number of pedestrians who will enter Gaza each day at about “50 people plus family members coming in”.

“We are not going to prevent anyone from leaving,” he adds.

Netanyahu says that he believes “there will be no open access - it is not going to be opened for goods. People pass through- yes, people go out, people come in - but they are thoroughly checked”.

In other news, discussions over disarming Hamas are expected to begin only after the reopening of the Rafah Crossing, two sources familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post.

Hamas refuses disarmament talks until Rafah Crossing opens

Although earlier reports anticipated the crossing would open as early as Wednesday, both an Israeli official and a Western diplomat told the Post that Thursday is now the earliest likely date.

“There is a chance it might not happen until early next week,” the pair added.
Once operational, the Rafah Crossing will be restricted to civilian entry and exit. On the Gaza exit side, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) will implement screening procedures to verify the identities of those leaving.

On the entry side, Israel will maintain an additional inspection point a few meters from the crossing to conduct security checks, aimed at preventing the smuggling of weapons or materials that could bolster Hamas’s operational capabilities.
Senior US officials said Tuesday that Gaza’s reconstruction would move forward only if Hamas agrees to disarm.

“The ball is in Hamas’s court — they are the ones preventing Gaza’s rehabilitation and a better future for its people,” the officials told reporters.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-884745

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-seeking-to-ensure-more-palestinians-are-let-out-of-gaza-than-back-in/#:~:text=Israel%20wants%20to%20restrict%20the,border's%20expected%20opening%20next%20week.

They wanted a stampede out of Gaza. Guess now they are going to have to settle for a trickle.

What ceasefire? Israel have been killing Palestinians (yes including children) every day since this supposed “ceasefire” started.

I haven't read that there will be any limit on the number of people leaving Gaza?

Only on the number coming into Gaza, it seems.

That’s the whole point! Couldn’t get rid of them quickly so have to be patient and do it slowly. Problem is, the likes of Smotrich and his fellow psychopaths are not patient.

It remains to be seen whether there is a trickle or stampede of people out of Gaza.