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Khalil Discusses Phase Two of the Gaza Peace Plan With CBS News

January 5, 2026

WCBS

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Osamah F. Khalil


President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met last Monday to discuss the future of Gaza and the next phase of the ceasefire plan. Osamah Khalil, chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program, speaks with CBS News about phase two of the plan.

“We're still not very close to phase two coming into place. Hamas is unlikely to disarm willingly and Israel is not going to be able to disarm them,” says Khalil.

“Part of the phase two plan is this idea that you're going to put in an international stabilization force but the United States has not been able to convince any countries to join this force, in part because they don't want to be seen as yet another occupying force like Israel, nor do they believe they're going to be able to disarm Hamas forcefully,” he says.

“Israel has had two and a half years, if not more, to try and disarm Hamas and it has been unable to do so. So this becomes very difficult, especially with continuing to prevent aid from coming in. And the aid that's supposed to be part of the initial ceasefire agreement, the fact that it's being prevented is just leading to even a larger number of deaths and disease and wounded,” says Khalil.


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