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Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the initial stage of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire proposal is approaching completion, and added that the next phase must involve the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli prime minister revealed he would examine 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’re about to finish the initial stage,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to guarantee that we secure the equivalent results in the second stage, and that’s something I am eager to reviewing with President Trump.”

European Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “The second phase must begin now and then the third phase must also be taken into account.”

Merz is the first leader of a major European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court issued 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 allegations 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 trip was not currently under consideration. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Details of the Current Ceasefire

Under the initial stage of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 remains of hostages killed during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a ceasefire line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.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 estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas military actions over the identical timeframe.

Next Steps and Unclear Timeline

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, specified a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to pull back further, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian committee to run day-to-day administration of Gaza.

The sequencing of these steps is vague in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed Hamas disarmament.

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

Possible Options and Political Stances

Netanyahu raised the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without explaining what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “debate”, and stressed that Israel was firmly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu said the primary reason he would not be able to make a return 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 shifting focus from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but stepped aside from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an investigation.

Netanyahu said Khan was “destroying the reputation of the ICC” with “trumped-up allegations of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised official”.

A separate court, the international court of justice, is considering charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry determined that Israel had carried out genocide.

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