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Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the primary part of the internationally-supported Gaza truce framework is nearing conclusion, and added that the next phase must include the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier revealed he would discuss the future steps later this month 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 initial phase,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the same outcomes in the next stage, 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 commented: “Stage two must come now and then phase three must also be considered.”

Merz is the first head of state of a major European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court delivered arrest warrants 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 securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not presently planned. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated allegations” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

During the initial stage of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the remaining 20 surviving Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 remains of hostages killed during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have pulled back to a demarcation line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was declared on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed over 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the identical period.

Next Steps and Unclear Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, detailed a schedule extending the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to pull back further, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian committee to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

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

“I think it’s important 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 demilitarise,” he stated.

Possible Options and Political Stances

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “other options” 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 “discussion”, and stressed that Israel was strongly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Charges and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu said the reason he would not be able make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as invented by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of diverting attention from allegations 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 “destroying the credibility of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of deprivation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

A separate court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission concluded that Israel had carried out genocide.

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