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Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the opening phase of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire proposal is nearing conclusion, and added that the next stage must include the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli leader revealed he would discuss the future steps in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were codified in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to conclude the initial stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to ensure that we achieve the same objectives in the next phase, and that’s something I look forward to addressing with President Trump.”

German Leader Visits Netanyahu

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

Merz is the initial leader of a major European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and his ex- 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 said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not presently being considered. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

During the initial stage of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas released the remaining 20 living Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 remains of hostages who died during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of over 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the identical period.

Next Steps and Ambiguous Timeline

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, set out a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to withdraw farther, and an international stabilization force is to be established under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run daily governance of Gaza.

The sequencing of these measures is unclear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

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

Possible Options and Political Positions

Netanyahu mentioned the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without explaining what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “debate”, and emphasized that Israel was strongly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu claimed the reason he would not be able to make a return 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 allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but stepped down from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an inquiry.

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

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

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