🔗 Share this article

Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the primary phase of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire agreement is nearing finalization, adding that the subsequent phase must require the disarmament of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli prime minister stated he would discuss the subsequent actions in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were codified in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We’re about to conclude the initial phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to ensure that we achieve the equivalent outcomes in the second stage, and that’s something I anticipate reviewing with President Trump.”

German Leader Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was speaking at a shared news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “Phase two must begin now and then stage three must also be considered.”

Merz is the initial head of state of a leading European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) released 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 winning federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would welcome Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a trip was not presently under consideration. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “trumped-up charges” from a “biased prosecutor”.

Details of the Current Ceasefire

Under the initial stage of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the last 20 living Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 bodies of hostages killed during the war. Concurrently, Israeli forces have pulled back to a demarcation line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire was declared 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 same timeframe.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Sequencing

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, set out a schedule extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to retreat more, and an international stabilization force is to be established under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run daily governance of Gaza.

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

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

Potential Options and Diplomatic Stances

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without explaining what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “negotiation”, and emphasized that Israel was adamantly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process desired by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.

ICC Charges and Judicial Cases

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

Netanyahu said Khan was “harming the credibility of the ICC” with “false allegations of starvation and genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

A separate tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is reviewing charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry found that Israel had committed genocide.

Questioned about the possibility of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to consider this at the current juncture.”