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Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the initial segment of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire plan is close to completion, stating that the next phase must involve the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister stated he would discuss the future steps in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were codified in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We are close to conclude the first phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the identical results in the next stage, and that’s something I look forward to reviewing with President Trump.”

German Leader Meets with Netanyahu

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

Merz is the initial head of state of a major European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and his ex- 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 said he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a trip was not at this time planned. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “fabricated allegations” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

During the initial stage of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas released the last 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. Concurrently, Israeli forces have pulled back to a demarcation line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was put into effect 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 fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the identical period.

Future Stages and Unclear Timeline

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, detailed a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to pull back further, and an international stabilization force is to be created under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, overseeing a administrative Palestinian committee to run daily administration of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions is not clear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed Hamas disarmament.

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

Potential Options and Political Positions

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, labeling it as a subject of “discussion”, and emphasized that Israel was strongly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments 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 to make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as manufactured by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of shifting focus from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any wrongdoing, but stepped aside from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an inquiry.

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

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

Questioned about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to consider this at the current juncture.”