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Benjamin Netanyahu has proclaimed that the primary segment of the UN-endorsed Gaza halt in hostilities plan is nearing conclusion, noting that the next stage must include the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli leader mentioned he would examine the next steps in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were formalized in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We are nearing complete the initial stage,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to guarantee that we achieve the same objectives in the second stage, and that’s something I am eager to reviewing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Visits Netanyahu

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

Merz is the initial leader of a major European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court delivered 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 indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a trip was not currently under consideration. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

During the first phase of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 remains of hostages killed during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have pulled back 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 more than 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the identical timeframe.

Next Steps and Ambiguous Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, detailed a timetable extending 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 created under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian committee to run day-to-day administration of Gaza.

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

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

Possible Options and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu mentioned the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, labeling it as a subject of “debate”, and emphasized that Israel was firmly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Legal Cases

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

Netanyahu asserted Khan was “destroying the standing of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

A separate court, the international court of justice, is considering charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission found that Israel had committed genocide.

Asked about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to consider this at the present time.”