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Benjamin Netanyahu has remarked that the opening segment of the UN-endorsed Gaza truce proposal is approaching conclusion, noting that the subsequent phase must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier said he would examine the following stages later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were codified in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to complete the first stage,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the same outcomes in the next phase, and that’s something I anticipate discussing with President Trump.”

European Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a shared news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “The second phase must begin now and then the third phase must also be considered.”

Merz is the initial leader of a significant European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued 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 said on Sunday a trip was not at this time being considered. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “baseless allegations” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Ongoing Ceasefire

Under the first phase of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the final 20 surviving Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. Concurrently, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed more than 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the identical period.

Future Stages and Unclear Timeline

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, set out a timetable extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to retreat more, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be established under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run daily administration of Gaza.

The sequencing 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 crucial to make sure that Hamas adheres not only with the ceasefire, but also with their commitment which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he stated.

Potential Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “negotiation”, and stressed that Israel was strongly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Legal Proceedings

Netanyahu said the reason he would not be able make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as manufactured by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a means of shifting focus from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but stepped aside from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an inquiry.

Netanyahu said Khan was “harming the standing of the ICC” with “trumped-up allegations of deprivation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

A separate tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission found 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 present time.”