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Benjamin Netanyahu has proclaimed that the initial part of the internationally-supported Gaza halt in hostilities plan is close to finalization, stating that the subsequent stage must entail the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli premier mentioned he would examine the subsequent actions in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were codified in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We are close to finish the first stage,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to make sure that we attain the equivalent outcomes in the next stage, and that’s something I am eager to addressing with President Trump.”

European Leader Visits Netanyahu

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

Merz is the initial leader of a significant European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) released warrants for arrest for the Israeli prime minister and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not at this time being considered. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Details of the Ongoing Ceasefire

During the initial stage of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the remaining 20 surviving Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. At the same time, 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 over 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the same period.

Next Steps and Unclear Timeline

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, specified a schedule extending the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be created under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The sequencing of these steps is ambiguous in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on 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 demilitarise,” he said.

Potential Options and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli annexation of the West Bank, labeling it as a subject of “negotiation”, and reiterated that Israel was strongly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the aim of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu claimed the reason he would not be able to make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as manufactured by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a means of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any wrongdoing, but stepped aside from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an investigation.

Netanyahu said Khan was “harming the credibility of the ICC” with “trumped-up allegations of deprivation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

A separate tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is weighing up allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission determined that Israel had committed genocide.

Questioned about the prospect of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to discuss this at the current juncture.”