Initial Phase of Gaza Ceasefire Plan Almost Finished, Says Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the opening part of the United Nations-backed Gaza truce framework is close to completion, adding that the second phase must include the demilitarization of Hamas.
Upcoming Talks in Washington
The Israeli premier said he would discuss the following stages in the coming weeks in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were codified in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November.
“We are close to complete the initial stage,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the same results in the next stage, and that’s something I look forward to addressing with President Trump.”
German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu
The prime minister was speaking at a shared media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who stated: “The second phase must come now and then stage three must also be considered.”
Merz is the initial head of state of a major European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court released 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 winning federal elections in February, Merz had stated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not at this time being considered. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “trumped-up allegations” from a “biased prosecutor”.
Terms of the Current Ceasefire
Under the initial stage of the existing ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the final 20 surviving Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has handed over all but one of 28 bodies of hostages who died 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 At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a demarcation line, leaving them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip.
Since the ceasefire was put into effect on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed over 360 Palestinians, including an estimated 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the identical timeframe.
Next Steps and Ambiguous Sequencing
Not one of Trump’s suggestions, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly supported them, set out 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 set up under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders led by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian council to run day-to-day governance of Gaza.
The order of these steps is not clear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his comments on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis on Hamas disarmament.
“I think it’s important to make sure that Hamas adheres not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized,” he said.
Possible Options and Diplomatic Positions
Netanyahu mentioned the prospects of “other options” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not rule out Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “discussion”, and stressed that Israel was firmly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the aim 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 stated the primary reason he would not be able make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he characterized as fabricated by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a means of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but recused himself from his role in May pending the outcome of an inquiry.
Netanyahu remarked Khan was “harming the reputation of the ICC” with “trumped-up allegations of starvation and genocide” from a “compromised official”.
A separate tribunal, the international court of justice, is weighing up charges that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous investigative commission determined that Israel had carried out genocide.
Questioned about the prospect of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to discuss this at the moment.”