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Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the primary segment of the internationally-supported Gaza truce proposal is nearing finalization, noting that the second phase must include the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

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

“We’re about to finish the first phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to make sure that we secure the equivalent objectives in the second phase, and that’s something I look forward to reviewing with President Trump.”

German Leader Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “Stage two must start immediately and then phase three must also be taken into account.”

Merz is the first leader of a major European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants for arrest for the Israeli prime minister and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegations in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had said he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not at this time being considered. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Details of the Current Ceasefire

During the first phase of the existing ceasefire deal, Hamas released the remaining 20 surviving Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 bodies of hostages who died during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, resulting in them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.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 approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas military actions over the same period.

Next Steps and Ambiguous Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, detailed a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is supposed 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 chaired by Trump, overseeing a administrative Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The sequencing of these steps is not clear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed Hamas disarmament.

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

Potential Alternatives and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without explaining what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “discussion”, and reiterated that Israel was adamantly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu stated the 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 diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but stepped aside from his role in May pending the outcome of an investigation.

Netanyahu said Khan was “damaging the reputation of the ICC” with “trumped-up allegations of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

A separate court, the international court of justice, is weighing up charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry determined that Israel had carried out genocide.

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