Initial Phase of Gaza Strip Ceasefire Framework Nearly Finished, Says Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu has observed that the initial stage of the United Nations-backed Gaza ceasefire agreement is approaching completion, stating that the second phase must entail the demilitarization of Hamas.
Upcoming Discussions in Washington
The Israeli prime minister mentioned he would talk about the following stages in late November in Washington with Donald Trump, whose Gaza initiatives were formalized in a UN security council resolution on 17 November.
“We are nearing finish the initial phase,” Netanyahu stated. “But we have to ensure that we attain the same objectives in the next stage, and that’s something I am eager to reviewing with President Trump.”
European Leader Meets with Netanyahu
The prime minister was addressing the media at a joint news conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who said: “The second phase must come now and then stage three must also be examined.”
Merz is the initial head of state of a leading European state to confer with Netanyahu in Israel since the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in November last year for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity allegations in Gaza.
After securing victory in federal elections in February, Merz had indicated he would invite Netanyahu to Germany despite the ICC warrants, but clarified on Sunday a visit was not presently planned. Netanyahu disregards the warrants as “fabricated charges” from a “corrupt prosecuting office”.
Details of the Current Ceasefire
Under the initial stage of the existing ceasefire agreement, Hamas released the remaining 20 surviving Israeli captives in return for some 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, and it has transferred all but one of 28 remains of hostages who died during the war. Concurrently, Israeli forces have pulled back to a ceasefire line, leaving them in control of 58% of the Gaza Strip.
Since the ceasefire was announced on 10 October, Israeli forces have been responsible for the deaths of more than 360 Palestinians, including an approximate 70 children. Three Israeli soldiers have been fatally wounded in Hamas attacks over the same timeframe.
Next Steps and Ambiguous Sequencing
Neither Trump’s suggestions, nor UN Security Council resolution 2803 which largely supported them, detailed a timetable extending the ceasefire into a permanent peace. Hamas is required to disarm, Israeli troops are meant to pull back further, and an international stabilisation force (ISF) is to be set up under the control of a “peace board” of world leaders headed by Trump, supervising a technocratic Palestinian committee to run day-to-day administration of Gaza.
The order of these steps is vague 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 abides not only with the ceasefire, but also with their obligation which they undertook to disarm and have Gaza demilitarise,” he asserted.
Possible Alternatives and Political Positions
Netanyahu brought up the prospects of “alternatives” to the ISF, without clarifying what those might be. He would not dismiss Israeli sovereignty of the West Bank, describing it as a topic of “discussion”, and stressed that Israel was strongly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state, the aim of the peace process supported by most European and Arab capitals as well as the vast majority of UN member states.
International Criminal Court Warrants and Legal Cases
Netanyahu said 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 way of diverting attention from accusations of sexual harassment against him. Khan has denied any misconduct, but stepped aside from his role in May pending the conclusion of an inquiry.
Netanyahu asserted Khan was “destroying the reputation of the ICC” with “false allegations of deprivation and acts of genocide” from a “compromised prosecutor”.
Another tribunal, the international court of justice, is reviewing allegations that Israel has perpetrated genocide in Gaza. In September, a UN independent commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had carried out genocide.
Asked about the prospect of Netanyahu visiting Germany, Merz informed reporters on Sunday: “There is no reason to consider this at the moment.”
