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Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the initial phase of the United Nations-backed Gaza halt in hostilities plan is approaching completion, noting that the second phase must entail the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister said he would examine the future steps in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were formalized in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to finish the initial phase,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to make sure that we secure the same results in the next stage, and that’s something I look forward to reviewing with President Trump.”

European Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a shared media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “Phase two must begin now and then phase three must also be considered.”

Merz is the initial head of state of a leading European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court 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 in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a visit was not presently under consideration. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Details of the Current Truce

During the initial stage of the current ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the last 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange 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. At the same time, Israeli forces have pulled back to a truce line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was announced 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 fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the same timeframe.

Next Steps and Ambiguous Timeline

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, detailed a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders headed by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run daily administration of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions 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 make sure that Hamas complies not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he asserted.

Potential Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without explaining what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a subject of “negotiation”, and emphasized that Israel was strongly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Legal Cases

Netanyahu stated the primary 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 shifting focus from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any wrongdoing, but recused himself from his role in May pending the outcome of an investigation.

Netanyahu said Khan was “harming the standing of the ICC” with “unfounded charges of deprivation and genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

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

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