The Times of Israel reports: “US President Donald Trump’s administration told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that it is committed to both bringing back the final deceased hostage from Gaza and disarming Hamas but is not prepared to condition the commencement of phase two of its peace plan on either, a US official and two sources familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel Wednesday.

Jerusalem has pushed back on proceeding with phase two — which envisions the establishment of mechanisms involved in the rebuilding and management of postwar Gaza — before Hamas returns the remains of Israel Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili and hands over its weapons.

The US has been in talks with Mideast mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have assured Washington that Hamas will agree to a gradual disarmament plan that would begin with the terror group giving up its heavy weaponry and the launch of a ‘buy-back’ program for lighter weapons, according to the US official and two Arab diplomats, who said the goal is to begin implementing the program in the coming weeks.

It was not clear whether this framework will be sufficient for Israel. Hamas officials have publicly asserted that the organization will only agree to give up its weapons in a negotiated process that results in the establishment of a Palestinian state…”