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Benjamin Netanyahu has remarked that the first part of the UN-endorsed Gaza truce plan is approaching conclusion, noting that the subsequent phase must require the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli premier revealed he would address the following stages in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were codified in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We’re about to finish the first phase,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the identical outcomes in the next phase, and that’s something I am eager to discussing with President Trump.”

German Leader Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a shared press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “The second phase must start immediately and then the third phase must also be taken into account.”

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

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not currently under consideration. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “trumped-up charges” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Details of the Current Truce

During the first phase of the existing ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange 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. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a ceasefire line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was declared 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 fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the identical timeframe.

Next Steps and Unclear Timeline

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, set out a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to retreat more, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be established under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run daily administration of Gaza.

The order of these actions is unclear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

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

Possible Options and Diplomatic Positions

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “negotiation”, and stressed that Israel was strongly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu claimed the primary reason he would not be able make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as fabricated 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 wrongdoing, but stepped down from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an investigation.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “harming the reputation of the ICC” with “false charges of deprivation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

A separate tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry determined that Israel had committed genocide.

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