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Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the opening part of the internationally-supported Gaza ceasefire plan is close to finalization, adding that the subsequent phase must include the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli leader revealed he would talk about the future steps in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were outlined in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We are close to complete the first phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the equivalent outcomes in the next phase, and that’s something I look forward to reviewing with President Trump.”

German Leader Visits Netanyahu

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

Merz is the initial head of state of a major European state to meet 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 alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had said he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not at this time being considered. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “trumped-up charges” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

During the first phase of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas released the last 20 living Israeli hostages 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. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, resulting in them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was declared on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of more than 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the identical timeframe.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Sequencing

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, specified a schedule extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to withdraw farther, and an international stabilization force is to be created under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders led by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian committee to run daily governance of Gaza.

The order of these measures is not clear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s crucial to ensure that Hamas abides not only with the ceasefire, but also with their pledge which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he said.

Potential Alternatives and Political 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, labeling it as a topic of “debate”, and reiterated that Israel was strongly opposed the establishment 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 Legal Cases

Netanyahu stated the primary 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 diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an inquiry.

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

Another tribunal, the international court of justice, is weighing up charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry found 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 present time.”