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Benjamin Netanyahu has proclaimed that the primary part of the internationally-supported Gaza halt in hostilities agreement is nearing finalization, noting that the subsequent phase must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier revealed he would examine the future steps in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were outlined in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to finish the first phase,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to guarantee that we secure the equivalent results in the second phase, and that’s something I anticipate reviewing with President Trump.”

European Leader Visits Netanyahu

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

Merz is the first leader of a major European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court issued arrest warrants 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 winning federal elections in February, Merz had stated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a visit was not currently under consideration. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Details of the Current Ceasefire

Under the first phase of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 remains of hostages killed during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, resulting in them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was put into effect 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 killed in Hamas military actions over the same period.

Next Steps and Unclear Timeline

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, specified a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions is not clear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

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

Potential Alternatives and Political Positions

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without explaining what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “debate”, and reiterated that Israel was strongly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process desired by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu stated the primary reason he would not be able to make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as manufactured by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May pending the outcome of an investigation.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “destroying the standing of the ICC” with “trumped-up charges of starvation and genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

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

Questioned about the prospect of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to consider this at the present time.”