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Benjamin Netanyahu has proclaimed that the opening part of the UN-endorsed Gaza halt in hostilities framework is nearing completion, and added that the subsequent phase must require the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli prime minister revealed he would address the next steps in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were codified in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We are nearing conclude the initial stage,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to ensure that we achieve the identical results in the next stage, and that’s something I look forward to discussing with President Trump.”

European Leader Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “Phase two must come now and then the third phase must also be taken into account.”

Merz is the first head of state of a major 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 war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not currently being considered. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Truce

During the first phase of the current ceasefire agreement, Hamas freed the final 20 surviving Israeli captives 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 same timeframe.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, detailed a schedule extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to retreat more, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be established under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders led by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run daily governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions is ambiguous in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis 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 undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he stated.

Possible Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli annexation of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “debate”, and emphasized that Israel was adamantly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the aim of the peace process desired by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Legal Proceedings

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

Netanyahu said Khan was “destroying the credibility of the ICC” with “false charges of starvation and genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

Another tribunal, the international court of justice, is considering charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous commission of inquiry found 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.”