🔗 Share this article

Benjamin Netanyahu has proclaimed that the first part of the United Nations-backed Gaza halt in hostilities proposal is nearing completion, adding that the subsequent stage must involve the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli prime minister said he would examine the next steps in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were outlined in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.

“We are nearing finish the initial phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to guarantee that we achieve the identical objectives in the second phase, and that’s something I am eager to discussing with President Trump.”

European Leader Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “The second phase must begin now and then phase three must also be considered.”

Merz is the first leader of a major European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered arrest warrants 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 said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a visit was not presently being considered. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “baseless allegations” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Ongoing Truce

Under the first phase of the present ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the final 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, resulting in them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following 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 same period.

Next Steps and Unclear Sequencing

Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, specified a schedule extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are meant 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, supervising a technocratic Palestinian council to run daily administration of Gaza.

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

“I think it’s vital to make sure that Hamas complies not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they agreed to to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he stated.

Potential Options and Political Positions

Netanyahu mentioned the possibility of “other options” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “debate”, and emphasized that Israel was adamantly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Legal Cases

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

Netanyahu remarked Khan was “destroying the reputation of the ICC” with “trumped-up charges of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt official”.

A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is reviewing allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent investigative commission determined that Israel had carried out genocide.

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