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Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the primary phase of the UN-endorsed Gaza halt in hostilities framework is approaching finalization, and added that the subsequent stage must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister said he would examine the next steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were formalized in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We are close to complete the initial phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the equivalent results in the second stage, and that’s something I look forward to addressing with President Trump.”

European Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a joint news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “The second phase must come now and then stage three must also be examined.”

Merz is the first leader of a significant European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) released 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 stated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not at this time planned. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Details of the Current Ceasefire

During the initial stage of the existing ceasefire deal, Hamas released the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages who died during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a ceasefire line, leaving them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following 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 timeframe.

Future Stages and Unclear Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, set out a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be established under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian council to run daily administration of Gaza.

The order of these steps is ambiguous in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s vital to make sure that Hamas complies not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he stated.

Possible Options and Political Positions

Netanyahu mentioned the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without explaining what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, labeling it as a subject of “negotiation”, and reiterated that Israel was adamantly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Charges and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu claimed the reason he would not be able make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as invented by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of shifting focus from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any wrongdoing, but stepped down from his role in May pending the outcome of an inquiry.

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

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

Questioned about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to consider this at the moment.”