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Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the primary stage of the United Nations-backed Gaza ceasefire framework is nearing finalization, and added that the subsequent phase must require the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier said he would talk about the subsequent actions in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were codified in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We are close to conclude the initial stage,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to guarantee that we achieve the identical objectives in the next stage, and that’s something I anticipate addressing with President Trump.”

German Leader Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a joint news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Phase two must come now and then phase three must also be examined.”

Merz is the first leader of a significant European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court released 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 indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not at this time being considered. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Ongoing Ceasefire

Under the first phase of the current ceasefire deal, 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 bodies of hostages who died during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire was declared 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 identical period.

Future Stages and Unclear Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, set out a schedule extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to withdraw farther, and an international stabilization force is to be set up under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders chaired by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run daily governance of Gaza.

The sequencing of these steps is vague in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu focused 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 agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he said.

Potential Options and Diplomatic Positions

Netanyahu mentioned the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “debate”, and reiterated that Israel was adamantly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the goal 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 stated the primary reason he would not be able to make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as invented by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a means of shifting focus from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any wrongdoing, but stepped down from his role in May pending the conclusion of an inquiry.

Netanyahu said Khan was “damaging the standing of the ICC” with “false charges of starvation and genocide” from a “compromised official”.

A separate tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous commission of inquiry concluded 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 current juncture.”