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Benjamin Netanyahu has observed that the first segment of the internationally-supported Gaza truce framework is close to conclusion, stating that the subsequent phase must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli premier revealed he would talk about the next steps in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were codified in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We are close to complete the first stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the same outcomes in the second stage, and that’s something I anticipate discussing with President Trump.”

German Leader Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a shared news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “Phase two must begin now and then phase three must also be examined.”

Merz is the initial head of state 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 former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegations 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 trip was not presently being considered. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Truce

During the initial stage of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas released the remaining 20 surviving Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 remains of hostages killed during the war. Concurrently, Israeli forces have pulled back to a truce line, leaving them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

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

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, specified a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be created under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian council to run daily administration of Gaza.

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

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

Potential Alternatives and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu mentioned the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “discussion”, and reiterated that Israel was firmly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Charges and Legal Cases

Netanyahu claimed the primary reason he would not be able to make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as manufactured by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of shifting focus from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any misconduct, but stepped aside from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an investigation.

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

Another court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is reviewing allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry found that Israel had committed genocide.

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