Last month, the Trump administration announced the start of the second phase of its Gaza peace plan, which the UN Security Council endorsed in November. Phase one, which went into effect last October, produced an initial cease-fire and ultimately the return of all hostages alive and dead, the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and the resumption of humanitarian aid. Phase two mandates the creation of a technocratic Palestinian governing authority, the deployment of an international stabilization force, the disarmament of Hamas, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces. The success of phase two will depend on the disarmament of Hamas. If there is disarmament, there will be reconstruction and Israeli withdrawal. Without it, there will be neither. The success of phase two hinges on the answer to a central question: Can the conditions that produced years of terrorism and war truly be dismantled?
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