First Stage of Gaza Strip Truce Framework Almost Finished, States Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu has noted that the initial phase of the internationally-supported Gaza halt in hostilities proposal is approaching finalization, and added that the second stage must involve the demilitarization of Hamas.

Upcoming Discussions in Washington

The Israeli leader mentioned he would talk about the following stages in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were codified in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November.

“We are nearing complete the initial phase,” Netanyahu remarked. “But we have to make sure that we attain the same outcomes in the second stage, and that’s something I am eager to discussing with President Trump.”

German Chancellor Meets with Netanyahu

The prime minister was addressing the media at a shared media briefing with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “Stage two must start immediately and then phase three must also be taken into account.”

Merz is the initial head of state of a significant European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered 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 in Gaza.

After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had said he would invite Netanyahu to Germany regardless of the ICC warrants, but said on Sunday a visit was not at this time planned. Netanyahu rejects the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.

Terms of the Current Ceasefire

During the initial stage of the existing ceasefire deal, Hamas released the remaining 20 surviving Israeli hostages in return 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 pulled back to a truce line, leaving them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.

Following the ceasefire was declared 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 killed in Hamas military actions over the identical period.

Future Stages and Ambiguous Sequencing

Neither Trump’s proposals, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely endorsed them, specified a schedule transitioning the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is expected to disarm, Israeli troops are supposed to pull back further, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be established under the authority of a “peace board” of world leaders led by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run daily administration of Gaza.

The timeline of these actions is not clear in Trump’s plan or in resolution 2803. In his remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu put his emphasis 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 demilitarise,” he asserted.

Potential Options and Political Stances

Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not exclude Israeli annexation of the West Bank, describing it as a subject of “debate”, and stressed that Israel was adamantly against the establishment of a Palestinian state, the goal of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states.

ICC Warrants and Judicial Proceedings

Netanyahu claimed the reason he would not be able make a return visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described 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 refuted any misconduct, but stepped down from his role in May awaiting the conclusion of an investigation.

Netanyahu said Khan was “damaging the credibility of the ICC” with “unfounded allegations of deprivation and acts of genocide” from a “corrupt prosecutor”.

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

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