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by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – The recovery of the final Israeli captive, Sergeant First Class Ran Gvili, during Operation Brave Heart in eastern Gaza City has removed the last major obstacle to reopening the Rafah Crossing, paving the way for the continued implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza.

Senior officials from Trump’s U.S.-backed Board of Peace confirmed Monday that all hostage issues—both living and fallen—have now been resolved. One senior official described the breakthrough as “100 out of 100,” adding, “The table is clean.” Officials called the recovery of every hostage, including remains, an unprecedented operational and diplomatic achievement.

With Phase One completed, attention is now shifting toward Gaza’s future governance and security framework. Under an Israel-U.S. understanding, the Rafah Crossing is expected to reopen later this week. A European Union monitoring mission, EUBAM, is already positioned at the crossing alongside Palestinian personnel approved by Israel. Palestinian officials will handle passport stamping under Palestinian Authority seals, while European monitors oversee operations.

Security screening will take place outside the crossing through a designated corridor supervised by Israeli security authorities, without direct IDF physical inspections. Initially, between 100 and 150 people per day will be permitted to cross, with capacity expected to expand if the mechanism proves effective. Egypt will provide daily lists of travelers, which will undergo vetting by Israel’s Shin Bet before approval.

The reopening of Rafah formally marks the transition into Phase Two of Trump’s Gaza initiative — the most complex and politically sensitive stage. Central to this phase is the disarmament of Hamas and the full demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. Board of Peace officials described disarmament as the “strategic obstacle” upon which all other tracks depend, including reconstruction, governance reform, and long-term stability.

“All tracks are moving in parallel,” one senior official said, citing development planning, temporary humanitarian solutions, long-term rebuilding, and the establishment of a technocratic administration. “But everything hinges on disarmament.”

President Trump underscored that point in an interview Monday, stating plainly, “Now we need to disarm Hamas, as they promised.” Trump praised Hamas for cooperating in the recovery of Gvili’s remains but stressed that Phase Two requires concrete action. “If they don’t disarm, they’ve breached the deal,” he warned.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed that stance in remarks to the Knesset, reiterating that Israel’s priority is dismantling Hamas’ military capabilities, not reconstruction. “Phase Two means demilitarizing Gaza and dismantling Hamas,” Netanyahu said. “Not rehabilitation.”

Despite deep skepticism within Israel about Hamas’ intentions, U.S. and regional mediators argue that the terror group’s decision to release all 20 living hostages immediately, without leverage or extortion, signals unprecedented pressure and fatigue.

According to U.S. officials, disarmament may be accompanied by limited amnesty arrangements for fighters who surrender weapons, though Israel has not confirmed any agreement on such terms. Hamas leadership remains divided, with some figures opposing disarmament outright and others signaling conditional openness.

Governance of Gaza is expected to transition to a technocratic Palestinian administration led by Ali Shaath, operating under Board of Peace oversight with advisory leadership from Bulgarian diplomat Nikolay Mladenov. Officials stressed that reconstruction would not be handled by a single state but by dozens of vetted private companies over a projected 10-year period, with strict international oversight.

Reconstruction would begin in Rafah and Khan Younis and gradually move northward. Israel will oversee rubble clearance and unexploded ordnance removal to prevent the reuse of materials for terror infrastructure. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has already allocated funds for initial phases, despite domestic political criticism.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that 20 additional countries have signed on to join the Board of Peace, though she declined to name them. While the UN Security Council mandate limits the board’s formal role in Gaza to two years, the Trump administration is openly positioning it as a broader conflict-resolution mechanism.

Jared Kushner, overseeing the Gaza initiative alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff, called the recovery of Ran Gvili “the closing of one of the darkest chapters of the Middle East conflict.”

“For the first time since 2014, there are no Israeli hostages held in Gaza,” Kushner said. “This is an end—but also a new beginning.”

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