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Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the opening stage of the internationally-supported Gaza halt in hostilities agreement is approaching finalization, adding that the second stage must entail the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli leader mentioned he would discuss the future steps later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were codified in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We’re about to finish the initial stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to make sure that we attain the equivalent results in the second stage, and that’s something I look forward to addressing with President Trump.”

European Leader Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a shared press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Stage two must begin now and then phase three must also be taken into account.”

Merz is the first head of state of a significant European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court released 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 said he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not presently being considered. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Ongoing Ceasefire

During the initial stage of the current ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the final 20 surviving Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 remains of hostages who died during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have pulled back to a demarcation line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of over 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the same timeframe.

Future Stages and Unclear Sequencing

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

The order of these actions is ambiguous in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

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

Possible Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “debate”, and emphasized that Israel was adamantly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the aim of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu claimed the reason he would not be able to make a return 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 denied any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May pending the outcome of an inquiry.

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “harming the reputation of the ICC” with “false charges of deprivation and genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

Another court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is reviewing charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission determined that Israel had carried out genocide.

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