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Benjamin Netanyahu has remarked that the initial phase of the internationally-supported Gaza truce proposal is approaching finalization, adding that the next stage must entail the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli leader revealed he would examine the future steps in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were outlined in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We are nearing finish the first stage,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to ensure that we achieve the identical results in the second stage, and that’s something I anticipate discussing with President Trump.”

European Leader Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a joint news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “Stage two must start immediately and then phase 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) delivered arrest warrants 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 stated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not presently under consideration. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “trumped-up charges” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Details of the Current Truce

Under the initial stage of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the last 20 surviving Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages who died 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 At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was put into effect on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed over 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas military actions over the same timeframe.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, specified a schedule transitioning 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 created under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders led by Trump, overseeing a administrative Palestinian committee to run daily administration of Gaza.

The order of these steps is not clear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s important to make sure that Hamas adheres not only with the ceasefire, but also with their pledge which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he stated.

Possible Options and Political Positions

Netanyahu brought up the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “negotiation”, and reiterated that Israel was strongly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Charges and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu stated the reason he would not be able 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 way of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but stepped down from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an inquiry.

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “damaging the credibility of the ICC” with “unfounded charges of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised official”.

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

Questioned about the prospect of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to consider this at the present time.”