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Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the opening segment of the UN-endorsed Gaza halt in hostilities agreement is close to finalization, and added that the subsequent phase must require the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli prime minister mentioned he would discuss the subsequent actions in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were codified in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We are close to finish the initial stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to guarantee that we achieve the equivalent outcomes in the next phase, and that’s something I am eager to reviewing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a shared press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Phase two must start immediately and then the third phase must also be taken into account.”

Merz is the initial head of state of a significant European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court issued warrants for arrest for the Israeli prime minister and his ex- defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity allegations in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not at this time planned. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Ongoing Ceasefire

Under the first phase of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas freed the final 20 surviving Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 remains of hostages killed during the war. Concurrently, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, resulting in them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.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 approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the same period.

Future Stages and Unclear Sequencing

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, specified a timetable extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to pull back further, and an international stabilization force is to be established under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, overseeing a administrative Palestinian council to run daily administration of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions is vague in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

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

Potential Alternatives and Diplomatic Positions

Netanyahu raised the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not rule out 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 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 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 diverting attention from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an inquiry.

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

Another court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is weighing up allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry found that Israel had carried out genocide.

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