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Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the first stage of the United Nations-backed Gaza truce framework is approaching conclusion, stating that the subsequent phase must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier stated he would talk about the next steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were codified in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We are nearing conclude the initial phase,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to make sure that we attain the equivalent outcomes in the next phase, and that’s something I am eager to addressing with President Trump.”

European Leader Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a joint media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Phase two must begin now and then phase three must also be taken into account.”

Merz is the first leader of a leading European state to confer 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 winning federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not presently under consideration. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “fabricated allegations” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Current Truce

Under the initial stage of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 bodies of hostages who died during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have pulled back to a ceasefire line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed more than 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the same timeframe.

Future Stages and Unclear Timeline

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, specified a schedule extending the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be set up under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian council to run daily governance of Gaza.

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

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

Potential Alternatives and Political Positions

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli annexation of the West Bank, labeling it as a subject of “debate”, and stressed that Israel was firmly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the aim of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Legal Cases

Netanyahu said the primary reason he would not be able make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as fabricated by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a means of diverting attention from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any wrongdoing, but stepped down from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an inquiry.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “harming the standing of the ICC” with “false charges of deprivation and genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

Another court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is reviewing allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide.

Asked about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to discuss this at the moment.”