Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will tell US President Donald Trump during their meeting on Wednesday that the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire “is not moving,” an Israeli source with knowledge of the details told The Times of Israel on Tuesday as the premier’s plane was en route to Washington.

The US-brokered ceasefire plan reached in October foresees the demilitarization of Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave. Hamas, however, has not agreed to give up its weapons, a matter that both Israel and the US consider to be nonnegotiable.

To that end, the source said Israel has been telling the US that another Israeli military operation is necessary to move toward Trump’s vision for the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu’s sentiments would appear to be shared by the Israel Defense Forces, as The Times of Israel learned earlier on Wednesday that the military was drawing up plans for a renewed offensive to disarm Hamas by force.

Meanwhile, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the Palestinian technocratic committee set to govern Gaza, has yet to enter the Strip and begin operations there.

Even with fighting officially halted, near-daily incidents have occurred along the ceasefire line, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violating its terms.

For its part, Israel has repeatedly targeted armed suspects — and, allegedly, at times uninvolved and unarmed civilians — who cross into Israeli-controlled areas.

On Tuesday, the IDF said it targeted Hamas operatives in response to an attack on troops in........

© The Times of Israel