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Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the first phase of the UN-endorsed Gaza halt in hostilities proposal is nearing completion, noting that the next phase must require the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier mentioned he would talk about the future steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were codified in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We’re about to finish the initial phase,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the identical results in the next stage, and that’s something I look forward to reviewing with President Trump.”

German Leader Meets with Netanyahu

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

Merz is the first leader of a leading European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court issued 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 allegations 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 visit was not currently planned. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

Under the first phase of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the last 20 surviving Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages who died during the war. Concurrently, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire was put into effect on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of over 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas attacks over the same timeframe.

Next Steps and Ambiguous Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, detailed a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be established under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, overseeing a administrative Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The order of these steps is not clear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his remarks 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 obligation which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he said.

Potential Alternatives and Diplomatic Positions

Netanyahu raised the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “negotiation”, and stressed that Israel was strongly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process desired by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu claimed the reason he would not be able make a reciprocal 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 denied any misconduct, but stepped aside from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an inquiry.

Netanyahu said Khan was “harming the standing of the ICC” with “trumped-up allegations of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is considering charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry determined that Israel had committed genocide.

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