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Benjamin Netanyahu has noted that the primary stage of the United Nations-backed Gaza halt in hostilities plan is nearing completion, noting that the subsequent phase must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister mentioned he would examine the next steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were codified in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to complete the initial stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to make sure that we attain the same results in the second phase, and that’s something I am eager to addressing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a shared press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “Phase two must start immediately and then the third phase must also be considered.”

Merz is the initial leader of a major European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered warrants for arrest for the Israeli prime minister and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had stated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a trip was not at this time being considered. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Details of the Ongoing Truce

During the initial stage of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the remaining 20 surviving Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 remains of hostages who died during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have pulled back to a demarcation line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of more than 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the identical timeframe.

Future Stages and Unclear Sequencing

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, set out a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian committee to run daily governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these measures is not clear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s crucial to make sure that Hamas adheres not only with the ceasefire, but also with their commitment which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he said.

Possible Alternatives and Diplomatic Positions

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “discussion”, and stressed that Israel was strongly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process desired by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu said the primary reason he would not be able make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as invented by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of diverting attention from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but stepped aside from his role in May pending the conclusion of an inquiry.

Netanyahu said Khan was “harming the standing of the ICC” with “false allegations of deprivation and genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

A separate court, the international court of justice, is reviewing allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous investigative commission found that Israel had committed genocide.

Questioned about the prospect of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to discuss this at the moment.”