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Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the initial part of the internationally-supported Gaza halt in hostilities agreement is approaching completion, and added that the second stage must entail the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli leader revealed he would talk about the following stages in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were outlined in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We are nearing finish the first stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to guarantee that we secure the same objectives in the next phase, and that’s something I am eager to addressing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a joint press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Phase two must come now and then stage three must also be examined.”

Merz is the first leader of a leading European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court delivered arrest warrants 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 regardless of the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a visit was not at this time under consideration. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “baseless allegations” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Ongoing Ceasefire

Under the initial stage of the current 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 remains of hostages who died during the war. Concurrently, Israeli forces have pulled back to a ceasefire line, leaving them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following 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 fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the same timeframe.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, set out a schedule extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to retreat more, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be created under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run daily administration of Gaza.

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

“I think it’s crucial to make sure that Hamas abides not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he said.

Potential Alternatives and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu raised the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “negotiation”, and reiterated that Israel was firmly 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.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Judicial Cases

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

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “destroying the reputation of the ICC” with “trumped-up allegations of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is considering allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had carried out genocide.

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