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Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the opening stage of the United Nations-backed Gaza truce proposal is nearing finalization, adding that the next phase must include the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli prime minister said he would talk about the future steps in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were formalized in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We’re about to complete the first stage,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to ensure that we achieve the identical outcomes in the next stage, and that’s something I anticipate addressing with President Trump.”

German Leader Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a joint press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “The second phase must come now and then the third phase must also be taken into account.”

Merz is the first head of state of a significant European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) released 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 allegations in Gaza.

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had stated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a visit was not at this time planned. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “trumped-up charges” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Details of the Current Ceasefire

Under the initial stage of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the remaining 20 living 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 who died during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a ceasefire line, resulting in them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of over 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas attacks over the same period.

Next Steps and Unclear Sequencing

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, specified a schedule extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be set up under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders led by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run daily governance of Gaza.

The order of these measures is ambiguous in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his statements 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 pledge which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he stated.

Potential Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “debate”, and emphasized that Israel was adamantly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the aim of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Legal Cases

Netanyahu claimed the reason he would not be able to make a return 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 refuted any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an investigation.

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “damaging the standing of the ICC” with “unfounded charges of deprivation and genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Another court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide.

Asked about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to discuss this at the current juncture.”