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Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the opening stage of the UN-endorsed Gaza truce plan is nearing finalization, adding that the second phase must involve the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister stated he would talk about the next steps in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were formalized in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to conclude the initial phase,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to guarantee that we achieve the identical objectives in the next phase, and that’s something I look forward to addressing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a joint press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “Stage two must start immediately and then stage three must also be taken into account.”

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

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not presently planned. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Terms of the Current Truce

During the first phase of the current ceasefire agreement, Hamas freed the remaining 20 surviving Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 bodies of hostages who died during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a ceasefire line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

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

Next Steps and Unclear Timeline

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, specified a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be set up under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run daily governance of Gaza.

The sequencing of these actions is unclear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

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

Possible Options and Political Positions

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “discussion”, and stressed that Israel was firmly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants 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 manufactured by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but stepped aside from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an inquiry.

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “damaging the credibility of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of starvation and genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

Another tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is weighing up allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous investigative commission determined that Israel had carried out genocide.

Asked about the prospect of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to discuss this at the moment.”