The second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan began with high hopes but quickly exposed deep challenges. The plan demands that Hamas and other Gaza groups disarm. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff warned, "failure to do so would bring serious consequences." Hamas refuses, calling its arms tools of resistance against Israel’s long military occupation. Some hardline Israelis want to restart war if Hamas stays armed. The fragile ceasefire since October 2023 faces repeated violations. More than 450 Palestinians died in Israeli strikes during this period, while three Israeli soldiers were killed in attacks, according to official sources. Israel has not committed to a full military pullback from Gaza. It plans to keep a strong security presence, claiming Gaza will never be the same after Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023 attack. Governance in Gaza is uncertain. Hamas ruled for 20 years after winning elections. Trump’s plan suggests a new technocrat government inside Gaza with no Hamas role. An Executive Committee outside Gaza, possibly with non-Palestinians like former British PM Tony Blair, will oversee it. The plan also includes a Board of Peace chaired by Trump, rumored to feature leaders like Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Many Palestinians see foreign control as colonialism. Meanwhile, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsens. Despite increased aid since last October, hundreds of thousands live in tents, facing harsh winter storms with flooding and cold. Most children haven’t attended school for over two years. The peace plan’s progress is clouded by these hurdles and widespread skepticism.