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Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the initial segment of the UN-endorsed Gaza truce agreement is close to completion, stating that the next stage must include the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister stated he would discuss the subsequent actions in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were formalized in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

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

European Leader Visits Netanyahu

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

Merz is the initial leader of a leading European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered 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 invite Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not presently planned. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Truce

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 handed over all but one of 28 remains of hostages who died 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 Concurrently, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.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 declared on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of over 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas attacks over the same period.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, set out a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to pull back further, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be established under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian committee to run day-to-day administration of Gaza.

The order of these measures is ambiguous in Trump’s proposals 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 Diplomatic Positions

Netanyahu mentioned the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “discussion”, and stressed that Israel was strongly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu said the primary reason he would not be able to make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as fabricated 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 pending the conclusion of an investigation.

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

A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is considering charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide.

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