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Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the opening stage of the internationally-supported Gaza ceasefire agreement is close to finalization, stating that the second phase must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli premier mentioned he would address the future steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were formalized in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We are close to finish the initial stage,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to make sure that we secure the identical results in the next stage, and that’s something I anticipate addressing with President Trump.”

European Leader Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a shared news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “The second phase must start immediately and then the third phase must also be considered.”

Merz is the first leader of a leading European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants 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 winning federal elections in February, Merz had stated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not currently under consideration. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

During the first phase of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the final 20 surviving Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 remains of hostages killed during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was announced 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 fatally wounded in Hamas attacks 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 transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be established under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders led by Trump, overseeing a administrative Palestinian committee to run day-to-day administration of Gaza.

The order of these steps is unclear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu focused 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 undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he said.

Possible Options and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu brought up the possibility of “other options” 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 stressed that Israel was firmly against 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.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Legal Cases

Netanyahu claimed the primary reason he would not be able to make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as fabricated by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a means of shifting focus from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May pending the outcome of an investigation.

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “harming the credibility of the ICC” with “trumped-up charges of starvation and genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

Another court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission found that Israel had carried out genocide.

Questioned about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to discuss this at the moment.”