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Benjamin Netanyahu has observed that the first stage of the United Nations-backed Gaza halt in hostilities proposal is nearing completion, noting that the subsequent stage must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier said he would talk about the following stages in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were outlined in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We are close to conclude the first stage,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to ensure that we attain the equivalent outcomes in the second phase, and that’s something I anticipate addressing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint news 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 (ICC) delivered 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 in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a visit was not currently being considered. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “trumped-up charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

Under the initial stage of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the final 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 At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, resulting in them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed more than 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas military actions over the identical period.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, specified a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to pull back further, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be established under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The order of these measures is unclear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s vital to ensure that Hamas adheres not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he asserted.

Potential Alternatives and Diplomatic Positions

Netanyahu brought up the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “debate”, and emphasized that Israel was firmly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the aim of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu stated 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 chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a means of shifting focus from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an inquiry.

Netanyahu said Khan was “destroying the credibility of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of starvation and genocide” from a “compromised official”.

A separate court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is reviewing allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission 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 moment.”