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Benjamin Netanyahu has proclaimed that the initial segment of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire agreement is approaching completion, stating that the second stage must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli leader said he would examine the following stages later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were outlined in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We’re about to finish the initial stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to ensure that we achieve the identical objectives in the next phase, and that’s something I look forward to addressing with President Trump.”

European Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a joint media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “Stage two must start immediately and then stage three must also be considered.”

Merz is the first head of state of a leading European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court released 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 securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not presently planned. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated allegations” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Current Truce

During the initial stage of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas released the last 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. Concurrently, Israeli forces have pulled back to a truce line, leaving 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 military actions over the same period.

Future Stages and Unclear Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, detailed a timetable extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to pull back further, and an international stabilization force is to be set up under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders chaired by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these measures is unclear in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

“I think it’s vital to make sure that Hamas abides not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he said.

Possible Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “negotiation”, and reiterated that Israel was firmly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Judicial Cases

Netanyahu stated the reason he would not be able to make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as fabricated by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a means 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 inquiry.

Netanyahu said Khan was “destroying the reputation of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of deprivation and genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

Another court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is reviewing allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide.

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