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Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the primary stage of the internationally-supported Gaza ceasefire proposal is nearing conclusion, and added that the next stage must require the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli prime minister mentioned he would discuss the subsequent actions in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza proposals were outlined in a UN security council decision on 17 November.

“We are nearing finish the first stage,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to ensure that we achieve the same objectives in the next stage, and that’s something I am eager to addressing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a shared media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Stage two must come now and then phase three must also be examined.”

Merz is the initial head of state of a significant European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity 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 at this time being considered. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “fabricated allegations” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Details of the Ongoing Truce

Under the initial stage of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the last 20 living 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 who died during the war. Concurrently, 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 been responsible for the deaths of more than 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the identical timeframe.

Next Steps and Unclear Timeline

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

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

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

Possible Options and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu brought up 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, labeling it as a topic of “negotiation”, and emphasized that Israel was strongly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective 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 Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu said the 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 shifting focus from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an inquiry.

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “damaging the credibility of the ICC” with “unfounded charges of deprivation and genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

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

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