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Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the first stage of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire plan is nearing finalization, noting that the next phase must include the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli leader revealed he would discuss the future steps in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were formalized in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We are nearing finish the first stage,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to ensure that we attain the same results in the next stage, and that’s something I look forward to discussing with President Trump.”

German Leader Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a shared press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “Phase two must come now and then the third phase must also be examined.”

Merz is the initial leader of a leading European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court released 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 in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not presently under consideration. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Details of the Current Truce

Under the first phase of the existing ceasefire agreement, Hamas freed the remaining 20 surviving Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed 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 put into effect on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed over 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the identical timeframe.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

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

The sequencing of these actions is unclear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s important to ensure that Hamas abides not only with the ceasefire, but also with their commitment which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he said.

Potential Options and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a subject of “negotiation”, and emphasized that Israel was firmly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants 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 characterized as invented by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but stepped aside from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an investigation.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “damaging the standing of the ICC” with “false charges of starvation and genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

Another court, the international court of justice, is reviewing charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide.

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