🔗 Share this article

Benjamin Netanyahu has remarked that the initial phase of the United Nations-backed Gaza truce plan is nearing conclusion, noting that the second stage must require the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli leader mentioned he would discuss the future steps in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were formalized in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to finish the initial phase,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to guarantee that we achieve the identical objectives in the next phase, and that’s something I anticipate addressing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a joint media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “Phase two must come now and then the third phase must also be examined.”

Merz is the first head of state of a major European state to meet 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 in Gaza.

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a visit was not currently under consideration. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”.

Details of the Ongoing Ceasefire

Under the initial stage of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas released the final 20 surviving Israeli hostages in return for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages who died during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed over 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Hamas attacks over the identical period.

Future Stages and Unclear Timeline

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, set out a timetable transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders chaired by Trump, overseeing a administrative Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

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

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

Possible Options and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu mentioned the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a topic of “discussion”, and stressed that Israel was strongly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Legal Proceedings

Netanyahu said the primary reason he would not be able to make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized 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 investigation.

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “harming the standing of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.

Another court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous investigative commission found that Israel had committed genocide.

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