🔗 Share this article

Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the first segment of the internationally-supported Gaza truce plan is close to conclusion, adding that the subsequent phase must entail the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli premier stated he would address the subsequent actions later this month in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were codified in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.

“We are close to finish the initial phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the equivalent outcomes in the next stage, and that’s something I am eager to discussing with President Trump.”

European Leader Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was talking at a joint news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who commented: “The second phase must start immediately and then the third phase must also be considered.”

Merz is the initial leader of a leading European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants for arrest 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 indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but noted on Sunday a visit was not currently planned. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

Details of the Ongoing Truce

Under the first phase of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas freed the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners 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 At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire was declared on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed over 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 Timeline

Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, detailed a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a lasting peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to retreat more, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the control of a “board of peace” of world leaders led by Trump, overseeing a technocratic Palestinian council to run daily administration of Gaza.

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

“I think it’s crucial to make sure that Hamas complies not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he asserted.

Potential Alternatives and Political Positions

Netanyahu raised the possibility of “alternatives” to the ISF, without elaborating on what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli annexation of the West Bank, labeling it as a subject of “discussion”, and emphasized that Israel was adamantly against the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process supported by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

International Criminal Court Warrants and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu stated the primary reason he would not be able to make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as fabricated by the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a means of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but stepped down from his role in May pending the outcome of an investigation.

Netanyahu said Khan was “destroying the standing of the ICC” with “false allegations of deprivation and genocide” from a “compromised official”.

Another tribunal, the international court of justice, is considering charges that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous commission of inquiry found that Israel had committed genocide.

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