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Benjamin Netanyahu has noted that the initial stage of the internationally-supported Gaza truce proposal is approaching finalization, stating that the next phase must include the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli leader stated he would address the subsequent actions in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were formalized in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We are close to complete the initial phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to guarantee that we attain the identical objectives in the next stage, 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 stated: “Phase two must begin now and then phase three must also be considered.”

Merz is the first leader of a significant European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court delivered warrants for arrest for the Israeli prime minister and his ex- defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a trip was not at this time planned. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Terms of the Ongoing Ceasefire

During the first phase of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas freed the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have pulled back to a truce line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following 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 killed in Hamas military actions over the identical timeframe.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Sequencing

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, detailed a timetable extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be created under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders led by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian council to run daily governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these steps is ambiguous in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s important to make sure that Hamas abides not only with the ceasefire, but also with their commitment which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he stated.

Potential Options and Political Stances

Netanyahu raised the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without explaining 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 adamantly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu claimed the reason he would not be able to make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as manufactured by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of shifting focus from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an investigation.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “harming the credibility of the ICC” with “false allegations of starvation and genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

A separate court, the international court of justice, is weighing up charges 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 informed reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to consider this at the current juncture.”