Israeli leader outlines plans for disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza in upcoming phase of peace process.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the first phase of the Gaza cease-fire plan is nearly complete and that the agreement brokered between Israel and Hamas is set to move into its next stage by the end of December.
Speaking during a news conference in Tel Aviv alongside visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Netanyahu said the upcoming phase will focus on disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. “We’re about to finish the first stage,” he said. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the same results in the second stage, and that’s something I look forward to discussing with President Trump.”
Netanyahu confirmed that he will meet with President Donald Trump next month to discuss the cease-fire’s progress and next steps in Gaza. He emphasized that Hamas must uphold its commitment to disarm and demilitarize the territory, calling the transition “vital to lasting peace.”
“It’s been more than two years since Hamas launched a series of attacks against Israel, killing more than 1,200 citizens and taking more than 250 hostages, including Americans,” Netanyahu said, adding that the cease-fire’s early success has defied expectations.
The prime minister also referenced a third phase of the plan aimed at “deradicalizing Gaza.” “It was done in Germany, it was done in Japan, it was done in the Gulf States. It can be done in Gaza, too—but of course Hamas has to be dismantled,” he said.
In November, Trump urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, who faces charges of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust. Netanyahu has denied all wrongdoing. Trump described him as a “formidable and decisive wartime prime minister” who is “now leading Israel into a time of peace.”
Chancellor Merz reaffirmed Germany’s support for Israel, calling it “one of our closest allies.” He said Berlin is helping implement the cease-fire’s second phase by sending officers and diplomats to a U.S.-led civilian and military coordination center in southern Israel and delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. “Phase two must come now and then phase three must also be considered,” Merz said.
Netanyahu also addressed the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, issued last year for alleged war crimes tied to the Gaza conflict. He reiterated his rejection of the ICC’s claims, accusing its chief prosecutor Karim Khan of issuing “trumped-up charges of starvation and genocide.”
“He is destroying the reputation of the ICC,” Netanyahu said, adding that the warrants are one reason he will not visit Germany in the near future.
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