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Benjamin Netanyahu has commented that the primary part of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire proposal is nearing finalization, adding that the next phase must involve the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli prime minister revealed he would address the next steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were outlined in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to finish the first phase,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to guarantee that we attain the identical objectives in the second phase, and that’s something I anticipate addressing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a shared media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “The second phase must come now and then the third phase must also be examined.”

Merz is the initial leader of a significant European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered warrants for arrest for the Israeli prime minister and his ex- defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegations in Gaza.

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not at this time being considered. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Details of the Current Truce

Under the first phase of the existing ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the remaining 20 living Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees 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 At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was announced 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 identical period.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, detailed a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to withdraw farther, and an international stabilization force is to be created under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these steps is not clear in Trump’s plan 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 commitment which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he asserted.

Possible Alternatives and Diplomatic Positions

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

ICC Warrants and Judicial Proceedings

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

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

Another tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission found 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 present time.”