🔗 Share this article

Benjamin Netanyahu has remarked that the first phase of the internationally-supported Gaza ceasefire framework is close to finalization, and added that the subsequent stage must include the demilitarization of Hamas.

Forthcoming Talks in Washington

The Israeli premier stated he would examine the future steps in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans 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 guarantee that we achieve the same results in the second phase, and that’s something I look forward to discussing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a joint media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “Phase two must begin now and then stage three must also be considered.”

Merz is the initial head of state of a significant European state to meet Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) released warrants for arrest for the Israeli prime minister and his ex- defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity allegations in Gaza.

After winning federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a trip was not presently being considered. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Terms of the Ongoing Truce

Under the first phase of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the final 20 surviving Israeli captives in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have pulled back to a demarcation 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 over 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas military actions over the identical period.

Next Steps and Ambiguous Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, detailed a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to withdraw farther, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be established under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders led by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian committee to run daily administration of Gaza.

The order of these measures is unclear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.

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

Possible Alternatives and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the possibility of “alternatives” 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 “debate”, and emphasized that Israel was adamantly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the aim of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu said the primary reason he would not be able to make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as invented 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 aside from his role in May pending the conclusion of an inquiry.

Netanyahu said Khan was “harming the credibility of the ICC” with “unfounded charges of deprivation and genocide” from a “compromised official”.

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

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