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Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the opening part of the United Nations-backed Gaza truce proposal is close to completion, noting that the second stage must involve the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli premier stated he would discuss the next steps in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were outlined in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We are close to conclude the first stage,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to ensure that we secure the same results in the second stage, and that’s something I am eager to reviewing with President Trump.”

European Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Stage two must start immediately and then the third phase 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 (ICC) 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 allegations in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had stated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not presently under consideration. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Truce

During the initial stage of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the remaining 20 surviving Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 bodies of hostages who died during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, resulting in them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.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 over 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 suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, specified a schedule extending the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be created under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a administrative Palestinian committee to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions is not clear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament.

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

Possible Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu mentioned the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli annexation of the West Bank, labeling it as a subject of “negotiation”, and reiterated that Israel was strongly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process desired by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Legal Cases

Netanyahu stated the reason he would not be able make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as invented by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of diverting attention from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any wrongdoing, but recused himself from his role in May pending the conclusion of an investigation.

Netanyahu said Khan was “destroying the credibility of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of starvation and genocide” from a “compromised official”.

Another tribunal, the international court of justice, is reviewing charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous investigative commission found that Israel had carried out genocide.

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