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Benjamin Netanyahu has observed that the initial part of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire framework is close to completion, stating that the next phase must include the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister stated he would discuss the future steps in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were outlined in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to conclude the initial stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to guarantee that we secure the same objectives in the second phase, and that’s something I anticipate addressing with President Trump.”

German Leader Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a shared media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “The second phase must start immediately and then the third phase must also be considered.”

Merz is the first leader of a major European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants 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 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 being considered. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated allegations” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Details of the Ongoing Truce

During the first phase of the existing ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the last 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 killed during the war. Concurrently, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

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

Next Steps and Ambiguous Timeline

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, set out a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be established under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian council to run daily administration of Gaza.

The sequencing of these steps is ambiguous in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

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

Potential Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “alternatives” 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 reiterated that Israel was strongly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Legal Proceedings

Netanyahu said 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 denied any wrongdoing, but recused himself from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an inquiry.

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

Another tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous investigative commission determined that Israel had carried out 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.”