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Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the opening part of the UN-endorsed Gaza truce proposal is close to completion, adding that the subsequent phase must involve the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli leader revealed he would talk about the subsequent actions in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were formalized in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We are nearing complete the initial stage,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to ensure that we secure the same outcomes in the next phase, and that’s something I look forward to addressing with President Trump.”

European Leader Meets with Netanyahu

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

Merz is the first head of state of a leading European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court delivered arrest warrants 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 securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not at this time planned. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

During the first phase of the existing ceasefire agreement, Hamas freed the remaining 20 living Israeli captives in exchange 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. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, leaving them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire was declared on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of more than 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas military actions over the same timeframe.

Next Steps and Unclear Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, specified a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be created under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders led by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian committee to run day-to-day administration of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions is unclear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s important to make sure that Hamas abides not only with the ceasefire, but also with their pledge which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he stated.

Possible Alternatives and Political Positions

Netanyahu raised the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “debate”, and stressed that Israel was adamantly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu said the reason he would not be able to make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as manufactured by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of shifting focus from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but stepped down from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an inquiry.

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

A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is reviewing charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous investigative commission determined that Israel had committed genocide.

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