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Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the first phase of the internationally-supported Gaza ceasefire framework is nearing finalization, stating that the subsequent phase must require the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier said he would examine the following stages in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were formalized in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

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

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “The second phase must start immediately and then phase three must also be examined.”

Merz is the initial leader of a significant 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 in Gaza.

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not currently planned. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “baseless allegations” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Details of the Ongoing Ceasefire

Under the first phase of the existing ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the last 20 living Israeli captives 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. Concurrently, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, leaving them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.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 same timeframe.

Next Steps and Ambiguous Sequencing

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, detailed a timetable extending the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be established under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders led by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these steps is ambiguous in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed Hamas disarmament.

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

Potential Alternatives and Political Positions

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a subject of “debate”, and reiterated that Israel was strongly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the aim of the peace process desired 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 make a return 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 accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May pending the conclusion of an inquiry.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “damaging the standing of the ICC” with “trumped-up charges of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised official”.

Another tribunal, 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 told reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to discuss this at the present time.”