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Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the first segment of the United Nations-backed Gaza truce plan is approaching finalization, and added that the subsequent phase must require the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli leader stated he would talk about the following stages in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were codified in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We are nearing finish the initial phase,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the equivalent results in the second stage, and that’s something I am eager to reviewing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a joint press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “Stage two must come now and then stage three must also be taken into account.”

Merz is the first head of state of a leading European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) released 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 allegations in Gaza.

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not at this time under consideration. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Ongoing Truce

During the first phase of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the remaining 20 surviving Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 remains of hostages killed during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have pulled back to a truce line, leaving them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was put into effect on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of over 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas attacks over the same period.

Future Stages and Unclear Timeline

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, specified a schedule extending the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders led by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run daily governance of Gaza.

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

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

Possible Options and Political Positions

Netanyahu mentioned the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without explaining what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “debate”, and reiterated that Israel was adamantly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process desired by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Judicial Cases

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

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “harming the credibility of the ICC” with “trumped-up charges of starvation and genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is considering allegations 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 no reason to discuss this at the moment.”