🔗 Share this article Initial Phase of Gaza Strip Ceasefire Framework Nearly Complete, Says Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the first stage of the UN-endorsed Gaza truce agreement is nearing completion, stating that the next phase must involve the disarmament of Hamas. Upcoming Discussions in Washington The Israeli prime minister stated he would discuss the next steps in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza plans were outlined in a UN Security Council decision on 17 November. “We’re about to finish the initial phase,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to make sure that we secure the identical outcomes in the next stage, and that’s something I look forward to discussing 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 commented: “The second phase must begin now and then phase three must also be examined.” Merz is the first leader of a significant European state to hold talks with Netanyahu in Israel since the international criminal court delivered arrest warrants 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 welcome Netanyahu to Germany notwithstanding the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a visit was not presently planned. Netanyahu dismisses the warrants as “baseless charges” from a “biased prosecuting office”. Terms of the Ongoing Truce Under the first phase of the present ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the remaining 20 living Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 remains of hostages who died during the war. At the same time, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a truce line, resulting in them in occupation of 58% of the Gaza Strip. Since the ceasefire was put into effect 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 identical period. Next Steps and Ambiguous Timeline Not one of Trump’s proposals, nor UN security council resolution 2803 which mostly endorsed them, set out a schedule extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli troops are scheduled to withdraw farther, and an international stabilization force is to be set up under the authority of a “board of peace” of world leaders chaired by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run day-to-day governance of Gaza. The sequencing of these steps is vague in Trump’s proposals or in resolution 2803. In his statements on Sunday, Netanyahu focused on Hamas disarmament. “I think it’s important to ensure that Hamas abides not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he said. Possible Options and Political Positions Netanyahu brought up the possibility 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 “negotiation”, and reiterated that Israel was adamantly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, the objective of the peace process desired by most European and Arab governments as well as the overwhelming majority of UN member states. ICC Charges and Legal Cases Netanyahu said the reason he would not be able make a reciprocal visit to Germany was the ICC arrest warrants, which he described as manufactured by the court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, as a way of diverting attention from allegations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has refuted any wrongdoing, but stepped down from his role in May pending the conclusion of an inquiry. Netanyahu said Khan was “harming the reputation of the ICC” with “false allegations of starvation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised official”. A separate tribunal, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is considering allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN autonomous investigative commission found that Israel had committed genocide. Questioned about the prospect of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz told reporters on Sunday: “There is little cause to consider this at the current juncture.”