Analysts: This is what prompted the US Chief of Staff to fly over Gaza news

The United States seems determined to move to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and put the dots on many matters, but the major turning point currently lies in the nature and limits of the international force that is intended to be brought into the Strip, analysts say.

In a development that analysts describe as important, the Chief of Staff of the US Army, General Dan Keane, visited Tel Aviv yesterday, Saturday, and held discussions with his Israeli counterpart, Eyal Zamir, and inspected the conditions in the sector, over which he flew with an Israeli helicopter.

This tour came on the sidelines of Ken’s visit to the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Israel, where he and Zamir held a series of closed meetings with senior Israeli military leaders, which dealt with security coordination, the future of Gaza after the war, and reconstruction plans, according to what was reported by Israeli newspapers.

An American official confirmed to Al Jazeera that Kane will submit a report on establishing the ceasefire and transitioning to civilian rule in Gaza, to President Donald Trump, the Minister of War, and the National Security Council.

Put dots on the letters

Last week, the US Central Command opened the Civil-Military Coordination Center in the city of Kiryat Gat with the aim of “supporting the stability of Gaza.” However, Kane’s recent visit put the bullets on this center, in the opinion of the expert on Israeli affairs, Dr. Mahmoud Yazbak.

During a visit to this center, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to insinuate that he was the one managing it and making its decisions, until Ken came to confirm that the decision regarding everything related to Gaza “has become completely American, including the raids that Israel launched last week,” according to what Yazbek said on the “Current of Events” program.

This visit – according to the Palestinian analyst – reflects the United States’ determination to enter the second phase of the agreement, which Netanyahu – who is wanted by the International Criminal Court – is trying to postpone until at least the end of the Likud Party elections.

Kane’s tour over Gaza also reflects Washington’s desire to find out the reality of the situation and ensure that the Central Command has what enables it to carry out its tasks alongside forces from other countries such as Egypt, Qatar and Britain, says former US National Security Advisor Mark Pfeifel.

Do not repeat mistakes

The United States – as Pfeifel says – does not want to go to Gaza alone so as not to repeat the mistakes of Iraq and Afghanistan when it entered without effective partners in the region and was then forced to withdraw after many years of fighting.

The Arab and Muslim leaders knew when the Trump plan was presented to them and accepted it that they would have to provide financial, military and political participation at some point, and this is what Washington has emphasized repeatedly, according to Pfeifel.

Pfeifel described Kane’s recent visit as political, not military, and said that it means “that we are facing an attempt to overcome the great challenges that currently exist in cooperation with Israel and other partners.”

However, moving to the second phase of the agreement and arranging civil rule and sustainable peace in Gaza requires that the international force to be formed obtain international cover so that the countries of the region can participate in it, in Pfeifel’s opinion.

Dalal Erekat, professor of diplomacy and conflict resolution at the Arab American University, agreed with Pfeifel’s statement, stressing that this force must be under an international umbrella and that the limits of its influence, role, and operational mechanisms must be clear and defined.

The Palestinians need actual international protection from the invasion of the occupation, and they do not need a peacekeeping force through which Israel can carry out all the violations it wants, according to Erekat, who sees the need to expand this force to include the protection of the Palestinians in the West Bank as well.

Since Kane’s visit gives a positive indication on several levels, especially with regard to the International Stabilization Force, what is important now is to provide an international umbrella for this force to ensure the withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza, and to protect the Palestinians without wasting their historical and legal rights, as Erekat says.

Palestinian political analyst Iyad Al-Qara agreed with the previous conversation, saying that the American position is witnessing a positive development, but he considered that the most important step now is to move to the second phase while ensuring that Israeli violations stop and Tel Aviv is obligated to what was agreed upon.

Israel is still destroying the Yellow Zone and working to completely erase it in order to occupy it, says Al-Qara, who believes that a potential international force should not turn into an umbrella to cover up Israel’s crimes.

It will also be important that this force does not use this force as a pretext to divide the Strip, rebuild the part under occupation, and leave the part outside its control. This is the role of the United States if it really wants peace and an end to the war, according to Al-Qara.

The Palestinian analyst believes that the assertion of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) that it will not be part of the government in the future is a position that can be largely built upon, especially since it previously announced that disarmament will only be possible within broader negotiations aimed at a long-term truce.