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Benjamin Netanyahu has proclaimed that the initial part of the United Nations-backed Gaza truce agreement is nearing finalization, noting that the next phase must involve the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister said he would address the following stages in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were formalized in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We are nearing conclude the initial phase,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to guarantee that we secure the identical objectives in the second stage, and that’s something I anticipate reviewing with President Trump.”

German Leader Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Stage two must start immediately and then phase three must also be taken into account.”

Merz is the first leader of a major 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 indicated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a trip was not currently under consideration. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Details of the Ongoing Ceasefire

Under the initial stage of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the final 20 surviving Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a ceasefire line, resulting in them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of 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 Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, specified a timetable extending the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed 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 headed by Trump, overseeing a administrative Palestinian council to run daily governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions is unclear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his statements 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 agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he stated.

Possible Alternatives and Political Positions

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “alternatives” 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 objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu said the reason he would not be able make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized 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 stepped down from his role in May pending the outcome of an inquiry.

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “harming the standing of the ICC” with “trumped-up allegations of deprivation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

Another court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had carried out genocide.

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