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Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the first phase of the United Nations-backed Gaza truce plan is approaching conclusion, stating that the subsequent phase must involve the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli prime minister stated he would talk about the next steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were outlined in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We’re about to finish the first stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to ensure that we achieve the equivalent results in the second phase, and that’s something I anticipate reviewing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a shared media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Phase two must begin now and then phase three must also be examined.”

Merz is the first leader of a significant European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court delivered 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 winning federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not presently under consideration. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Details of the Ongoing Truce

Under the first phase of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 remains of hostages killed 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 At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a ceasefire line, resulting in them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.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 declared on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed more than 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the identical timeframe.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, detailed a timetable extending the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to retreat more, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a administrative 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 focused on 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 undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he asserted.

Potential Options and Political Stances

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without explaining what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “discussion”, and emphasized that Israel was adamantly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu said the reason he would not be able to make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as fabricated by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any wrongdoing, but stepped aside 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”.

A separate court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is reviewing allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide.

Questioned about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to discuss this at the current juncture.”