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Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the primary stage of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire proposal is approaching finalization, stating that the next phase must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli leader stated he would talk about the future steps in the coming weeks 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 initial phase,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to make sure that we secure the equivalent objectives in the next phase, and that’s something I anticipate reviewing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “The second phase must come now and then phase three must also be considered.”

Merz is the initial leader of a significant European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court delivered 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 in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not at this time under consideration. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Ongoing Ceasefire

During the first phase of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the last 20 living Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 remains of hostages who died during the war. Concurrently, Israeli forces have pulled back to a ceasefire line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

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

Next Steps and Unclear Timeline

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, specified a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to pull back further, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be established under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders led by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run daily governance of Gaza.

The order of these steps is vague in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu stressed Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s important to ensure that Hamas complies not only with the ceasefire, but also with their pledge which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he said.

Possible Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu mentioned the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not exclude 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 aim 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 stated the reason he would not be able to make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as invented 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 stepped aside from his role in May pending the conclusion of an investigation.

Netanyahu said Khan was “harming the standing of the ICC” with “trumped-up charges of deprivation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Another tribunal, the international court of justice, is weighing up allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission found that Israel had carried out genocide.

Questioned about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to discuss this at the current juncture.”