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Benjamin Netanyahu has remarked that the primary part of the internationally-supported Gaza halt in hostilities proposal is nearing finalization, noting that the subsequent phase must entail the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli prime minister revealed he would examine the following stages in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were formalized in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We are close to complete the first stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to guarantee that we achieve the same outcomes in the second phase, and that’s something I anticipate reviewing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a shared news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “The second phase must come now and then the third phase must also be taken into account.”

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

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not currently being considered. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Details of the Ongoing Ceasefire

Under the first phase of the current ceasefire agreement, Hamas freed the last 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 pulled back to a ceasefire line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire was put into effect on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of more than 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the same timeframe.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, set out a timetable extending the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to retreat more, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders led by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian council to run daily administration of Gaza.

The sequencing of these actions is ambiguous in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

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

Potential Alternatives and Political Positions

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without explaining what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “discussion”, and emphasized that Israel was adamantly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Legal Cases

Netanyahu stated the reason he would not be able make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as fabricated 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 wrongdoing, but recused himself from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an inquiry.

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “destroying the reputation of the ICC” with “trumped-up charges of deprivation and genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Another tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is reviewing charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry determined that Israel had committed genocide.

Asked about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to consider this at the current juncture.”