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Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the first segment of the United Nations-backed Gaza truce framework is close to conclusion, adding that the subsequent stage must entail the disarmament of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

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

“We’re about to finish the first stage,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to ensure that we secure the identical outcomes in the next stage, and that’s something I look forward to discussing with President Trump.”

European Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a shared press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “Stage two must come now and then stage three must also be examined.”

Merz is the initial leader of a major European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court released arrest warrants 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 securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a trip was not currently being considered. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Details of the Ongoing Truce

During the first phase of the current ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the last 20 surviving Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 remains of hostages who died during the war. At the same time, 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 killed more than 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the identical period.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Timeline

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, specified a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be set up under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian council to run day-to-day administration of Gaza.

The order of these steps is vague in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

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

Possible Options and Political Positions

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli annexation 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 capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Legal Proceedings

Netanyahu stated the reason he would not be able to make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as fabricated by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of shifting focus from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any wrongdoing, but stepped down from his role in May awaiting the outcome of an inquiry.

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

A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is weighing up charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had carried out genocide.

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