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Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the primary phase of the United Nations-backed Gaza halt in hostilities agreement is approaching conclusion, stating that the next stage must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister stated he would address the following stages in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were outlined in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We are nearing conclude the initial phase,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to guarantee that we attain the equivalent results in the second phase, and that’s something I am eager to addressing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a shared news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “Phase two must start immediately and then stage three must also be considered.”

Merz is the first head of state of a major European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered 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 winning federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a visit was not presently under consideration. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Details of the Current Truce

During the first phase of the existing ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the final 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees 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 pulled back to a demarcation line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since 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 same period.

Future Stages and Unclear Timeline

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

The timeline of these actions is vague in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed Hamas disarmament.

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

Potential Alternatives and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu mentioned the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “discussion”, and reiterated that Israel was strongly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu said 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 means of diverting attention from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any wrongdoing, but stepped aside from his role in May pending the outcome of an inquiry.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “destroying the reputation of the ICC” with “false charges of starvation and genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

Another tribunal, the international court of justice, is reviewing allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry determined that Israel had carried out genocide.

Questioned about the prospect of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to discuss this at the present time.”