🔗 Share this article

Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the primary stage of the United Nations-backed Gaza ceasefire agreement is approaching completion, stating that the next phase must involve the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli leader revealed he would talk about the subsequent actions later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were formalized in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We are nearing conclude the initial phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to guarantee that we secure the same outcomes in the second stage, and that’s something I am eager to discussing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

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

Merz is the initial head of state of a major European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) released warrants for arrest for the Israeli prime minister and his former 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 trip was not currently under consideration. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated allegations” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Ongoing Ceasefire

Under the first phase of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas freed the remaining 20 surviving Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have pulled back to a ceasefire line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was put into effect on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed more than 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas attacks over the same period.

Future Stages and Unclear Timeline

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, set out a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to pull back further, and an international stabilization force is to be set up under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders led by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The sequencing of these steps is unclear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

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

Possible Alternatives and Diplomatic Stances

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, describing it as a topic of “debate”, and emphasized that Israel was firmly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the aim of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Charges and Legal Proceedings

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 chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of diverting attention from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any wrongdoing, but stepped down from his role in May pending the outcome of an investigation.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “destroying the reputation of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised official”.

Another tribunal, the international court of justice, is reviewing allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide.

Questioned about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to consider this at the current juncture.”