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Benjamin Netanyahu has remarked that the initial stage of the internationally-supported Gaza truce agreement is approaching conclusion, and added that the subsequent stage must involve the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister stated he would talk about the subsequent actions later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were formalized in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We are nearing conclude the first phase,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to make sure that we attain the identical results in the next phase, and that’s something I am eager to reviewing with President Trump.”

European Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

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

Merz is the first leader of a leading European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued 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 winning federal elections in February, Merz had said he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not presently under consideration. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Details of the Current Truce

Under the initial stage of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have pulled back to a demarcation line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

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

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, set out a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to pull back further, and an international stabilization force is to be set up under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

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

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

Possible Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “debate”, and stressed that Israel was firmly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals 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 to 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 accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any wrongdoing, but stepped down from his role in May pending the conclusion of an inquiry.

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

A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is considering charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous commission of inquiry found that Israel had committed genocide.

Questioned about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to discuss this at the moment.”