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Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the first segment of the internationally-supported Gaza ceasefire agreement is approaching conclusion, adding that the second phase must require the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier said he would examine the subsequent actions later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were formalized in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We are nearing finish the initial stage,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to ensure that we secure the identical outcomes in the second stage, and that’s something I am eager to addressing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

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

Merz is the first leader of a major European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered 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 winning federal elections in February, Merz had stated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not currently being considered. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “fabricated allegations” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

During the first phase of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the last 20 living Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.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 timeframe.

Next Steps and Ambiguous Sequencing

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, specified a timetable 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 created under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian council to run daily governance of Gaza.

The order 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 ensure that Hamas adheres not only with the ceasefire, but also with their commitment which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he stated.

Potential Options and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “discussion”, and reiterated that Israel was adamantly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Judicial Cases

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

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “damaging the reputation of the ICC” with “unfounded charges of deprivation and genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Another tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry found that Israel had committed genocide.

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