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Benjamin Netanyahu has noted that the initial segment of the UN-endorsed Gaza truce framework is close to completion, and added that the subsequent phase must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli premier mentioned he would address the next steps in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were formalized in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We are nearing finish the initial stage,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to ensure that we achieve the identical results in the next phase, and that’s something I anticipate addressing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a joint news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Stage two must begin now and then phase three must also be examined.”

Merz is the initial leader of a significant European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) released warrants for arrest for the Israeli prime minister and his ex- defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity allegations in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had stated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not currently being considered. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “trumped-up charges” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Ongoing Truce

Under the first phase 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. Concurrently, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a ceasefire line, leaving them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.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

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, detailed a schedule extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be created under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run day-to-day administration of Gaza.

The sequencing of these measures is unclear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed Hamas disarmament.

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

Potential Options and Political Positions

Netanyahu mentioned the prospects 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 “negotiation”, and reiterated that Israel was strongly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process desired by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Charges and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu claimed the reason he would not be able make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as invented by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a means of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but stepped aside from his role in May pending the conclusion of an investigation.

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

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

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