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Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the primary stage of the UN-endorsed Gaza truce plan is close to conclusion, noting that the subsequent stage must require the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli premier mentioned he would address the following stages in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were formalized in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to complete the initial stage,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to guarantee that we secure the same results in the next stage, and that’s something I anticipate discussing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a joint media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “The second phase must start immediately and then the third phase must also be considered.”

Merz is the first head of state of a major European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants 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 securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had said he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a trip was not currently under consideration. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

Under the first phase of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas released the remaining 20 surviving Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 remains of hostages who died during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have pulled back 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 been responsible for the deaths of more than 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the same timeframe.

Next Steps and Ambiguous Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, detailed a timetable 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 created under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions is ambiguous in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s vital to make sure that Hamas adheres not only with the ceasefire, but also with their commitment which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he asserted.

Potential Alternatives and Diplomatic Positions

Netanyahu mentioned the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “negotiation”, and emphasized that Israel was firmly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Legal Cases

Netanyahu said the reason he would not be able to 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 way of shifting focus from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but stepped down from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an investigation.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “destroying the reputation of the ICC” with “unfounded charges of deprivation and genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is considering allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous commission of inquiry determined that Israel had carried out genocide.

Asked about the prospect of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to consider this at the current juncture.”