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Benjamin Netanyahu has observed that the initial part of the internationally-supported Gaza halt in hostilities plan is close to conclusion, stating that the second phase must involve the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli leader mentioned he would address the future steps in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were outlined in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We are nearing conclude the first stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to make sure that we secure the equivalent outcomes in the next stage, and that’s something I look forward to addressing with President Trump.”

German Leader Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a joint media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “Stage two must begin now and then phase three must also be examined.”

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

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not currently being considered. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

Under the initial stage of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas freed the final 20 surviving Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 remains of hostages who died during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have pulled back 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 over 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas military actions over the identical period.

Next Steps and Unclear Sequencing

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, specified a timetable extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be created under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian committee to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The order of these steps is ambiguous in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s important to make sure that Hamas adheres not only with the ceasefire, but also with their pledge which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he stated.

Potential Options and Political Stances

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “negotiation”, and emphasized that Israel was adamantly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu said the primary reason he would not be able to 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 recused himself from his role in May pending the conclusion of an inquiry.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “destroying the credibility of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of deprivation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is weighing up allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous investigative commission concluded that Israel had committed 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.”