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Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the opening phase of the UN-endorsed Gaza halt in hostilities plan is close to conclusion, and added that the subsequent stage must require the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister stated he would talk about the next steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were formalized in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We’re about to conclude the first phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to guarantee that we secure the identical objectives in the next phase, and that’s something I look forward to discussing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a shared press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “The second phase must start immediately and then phase three must also be examined.”

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

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not currently planned. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Details of the Current Truce

During the first phase of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas released the last 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have pulled back to a ceasefire line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since 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 attacks over the same timeframe.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Sequencing

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, specified 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 established under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders led by Trump, overseeing a administrative Palestinian council to run daily governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions is vague in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s crucial to ensure that Hamas abides not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he said.

Possible Options and Political Positions

Netanyahu mentioned the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “debate”, and stressed that Israel was firmly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Legal Proceedings

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

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “damaging the standing of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

Another tribunal, the international court of justice, is considering allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous investigative commission determined that Israel had committed genocide.

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